Boeing MAX: The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Mike Whitaker, revealed on Thursday that Boeing has not yet resumed production of its 737 MAX airplanes, following the machinists’ strike that ended on November 4, 2024. However, Boeing plans to gradually restart production later in December.
During a tour of Boeing’s 737 manufacturing plant in Renton, Washington, Whitaker met with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. He noted that Boeing is still focusing on stabilizing its workforce, supply chain, and training post-strike before resuming production. “We’re four weeks post-strike, and they’re still not producing airplanes,” Whitaker told Reuters, emphasizing the company’s cautious approach to resolving key issues before restarting assembly lines.
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The 737 MAX is Boeing’s best-selling model, making the production restart crucial to its financial recovery. The FAA had previously capped the production of 737 MAX planes at 38 units per month in January 2024. This decision followed a safety incident where an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 experienced the detachment of a door panel mid-flight due to missing bolts, raising concerns about safety standards at Boeing.
Whitaker refrained from providing a specific timeline for increasing the production rate beyond 38 planes per month. However, he suggested it could take several months before Boeing achieves that target, stating, “We really get great visibility on that journey up from 0 to 39 to see how they’re doing.”
Boeing did not immediately issue a comment on the matter. The situation highlights the company’s ongoing challenges in restoring operational efficiency and addressing regulatory scrutiny, both essential to meeting market demand for its aircraft.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Boeing is expected to propose a fix for the 737 MAX engine de-icing problem later this month. This issue has delayed the certification of the smaller MAX 7.
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He explained that the solution must be included in Boeing’s current production process and also in the certification application. Whitaker added, “We’ve done everything we can on our side while waiting for this solution.”
Whitaker, who announced another review of Boeing in October, believes it could take five years for the company to fully improve its safety culture. He noted some progress, like better training and a new parts management system.
However, he stressed the importance of Boeing adopting a strong Safety Management System (SMS), a system to find and fix risks before they become problems. “We haven’t yet seen the system working properly, where risk assessments guide decisions,” Whitaker said. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also criticized Boeing’s SMS for failing to catch earlier issues.
Whitaker started his five-year term in October 2023 but acknowledged that President-elect Donald Trump might replace him after taking office. He said he has had some early talks with Trump’s team but it’s too soon to know if he will stay in the role.
