SEATTLE- American aerospace giant Boeing restarts production of its 737 MAX aircraft at its Renton factory, marking a critical step in the company’s recovery efforts.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed to Reuters that the production line resumed operations last Friday (December 6, 2024), approximately one month after a seven-week strike by 33,000 factory workers.
Boeing Restarts 737 Production
The resumption of production carries significant strategic importance for Boeing, which currently holds approximately 4,200 outstanding orders for the aircraft. Airlines worldwide are seeking to meet escalating global air travel demand, making the 737 MAX a pivotal asset for the company’s financial reconstruction.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Mike Whitaker confirmed ongoing discussions about the production restart, though he initially indicated the company planned to resume production later in the month.
Boeing’s path to increasing 737 MAX production to its targeted 56 aircraft monthly has encountered substantial challenges. Multiple obstacles, including two fatal crashes, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, production safety concerns, and heightened regulatory scrutiny, have impeded the company’s manufacturing goals.
In January, the FAA implemented a production cap of 38 737 MAX planes per month following a critical safety incident. During a flight, a door panel missing four essential bolts detached from an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, exposing significant manufacturing and safety vulnerabilities within Boeing’s production processes.
Halfway to Meet its Goal
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker expressed skepticism about Boeing rapidly increasing its monthly 737 MAX production beyond the current 38-plane cap.
Whitaker indicated that multiple months would likely pass before the company could approach its previous production targets, signaling a prolonged period of regulatory scrutiny.
Financial analysts at Jefferies forecast Boeing will average 29 737 MAX aircraft production per month in 2025, significantly below the company’s pre-restriction goal of 56 monthly planes.
Boeing Using Faulty Parts
Federal agencies have significantly escalated investigations into Boeing’s manufacturing practices, with the FAA receiving over 200 whistleblower reports in the past year. These reports detail critical concerns about parts mismanagement, poor manufacturing practices, and inadequate quality inspections.
Sam Mohawk, a 13-year Boeing veteran, provided explosive testimony during a CBS News interview, revealing systematic safety failures within the company’s production processes. Mohawk exposed a dangerous corporate culture that prioritized production speed over essential safety protocols.
The whistleblower described a “parts jail” – a controlled storage area for defective components – where workers routinely circumvented quality control measures. Employees frequently removed problematic parts during quality control team absences, creating significant safety risks.
Mohawk characterized the manufacturing environment as “Russian roulette,” suggesting that non-conforming parts might not immediately cause catastrophic failures but could critically compromise aircraft longevity and passenger safety. He reported that 42 flawed rudders disappeared from the production system, highlighting the extent of manufacturing irregularities.
Key manufacturing violations included routine bypassing of quality control measures and the recycling of faulty parts back into aircraft production. The production line operated under a “keep moving at all costs” mentality that directly threatened passenger safety.
Response to Claims
Boeing’s response to mounting pressure has been minimal. The company claims an inability to locate paperwork explaining how fundamentally compromised aircraft left its factory.
In an attempt to address the crisis, Boeing hired a new CEO with the stated goal of “restoring trust” in the organization. The new CEO Kelly Ortberg is expected to make $16 Million a year including base pay and compensation.
Mohawk’s testimony aligns with the broader industry scrutiny following the January Alaska Airlines (AS) incident, where a door plug panel detached mid-flight. He expressed no surprise at the event, viewing it as an inevitable consequence of systemic manufacturing lapses.
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