By Dan Catchpole
LYNNWOOD, Washington, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Boeing plans to open a fourth 737 MAX production line in Everett, Washington, in midsummer, a Boeing executive said on Tuesday at an aerospace suppliers' conference.
The new line, dubbed the North Line, is part of the U.S. planemaker's plans to increase production of its popular 737 MAX jet to 63 jets a month in the next few years. It currently is increasing production from 38 jets a month to 42.
Suppliers can expect Boeing to further increase
output by about 15% in the next 18 months, Boeing Vice President and 737 program General Manager Katie Ringgold told the audience at the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Association's Advance 2026 conference.
That aligns with Boeing's next 737 rate target of 47 jets a month.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg previously said the company would increase production by five planes not sooner than every six months. Many industry watchers and investors expected the company to move toward a monthly rate of 47 by the end of 2026.
The North Line in Everett will be the first time a 737 has been produced outside Boeing's Renton plant south of Seattle. Boeing has started training workers to staff the line.
Boeing plans to crank up 737 production to 63 jets a month "over a number of years," Ringgold told suppliers.
The 737 MAX, Boeing's best-selling airplane, competes closely with the Airbus A320neo family in the lucrative single-aisle jetliner market.
(Reporting by Dan Catchpole; Editing by Will Dunham)
