Boeing 737 MAX
The first 737 MAX 8 plane undergoes final assembly at Boeing’s Renton plant in 2015. (Boeing Photo)

Boeing says it has resumed 737 MAX production at its factory in Renton, Wash., with more than a dozen initiatives implemented to enhance product quality and workplace safety amid the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Production was suspended in January, due to the worldwide grounding of narrow-body 737 MAX jets in the wake of two catastrophic crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. When the pandemic spread in March, Boeing temporarily extended the shutdown to wide-body jet production as well.
  • During the shutdown, mechanics and engineers collaborated to standardize work packages in each position of the factory. Boeing says employees should have everything they need to build the airplane at their fingertips.
  • “The steps we’ve taken in the factory will help drive our goal of 100 percent quality for our customers while supporting our ongoing commitment to workplace safety,” Scott Stocker, vice president of 737 Manufacturing, said today in a news release. The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to sign off on Boeing’s fixes and clear 737 MAX planes to fly again later this year, and 737 production will gradually ramp up from its current low rate.
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