Boeing is taking longer than expected to stabilise 737 MAX production at 47 aircraft a month, with chief executive Kelly Ortberg telling investors that the line is still not steady at that rate. The issue comes as the planemaker works through a production ramp at its Renton and Everett, Washington, sites, where output must settle at 47 before Boeing can move towards 52 a month.
Wing production remains the main bottleneck, delaying the push to a higher rate even though the supply chain outside that area is holding up well. Boeing has already turned on a new Everett line to support future increases, but the company still needs to improve flow before the ramp can progress. The target is central to Boeing’s delivery recovery and cash generation after years of quality and production problems. Ortberg also damped down expectations of a major China jet order being unveiled at a political summit next week.