Renton (US), Dec 22 (PTI) US aircraft maker Boeing, which has faced multiple headwinds, plans to ramp up the production of its narrow-body B737 planes to 47 per month.
From September onwards, the company
increased the monthly production number to 42 from 38 planes.
Katie Ringgold, Vice President and General Manager, 737 Program, and the Renton Site Leader for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said 2025 is a year of stability and 2026 will be a year of growth.
At a briefing at the Renton facility last week, she said the production rate will increase to 47 per month "in late spring or early summer of next year".
Boeing 737 variants are widely operated by Indian carriers -- Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet. Together, more than 150 such planes are in operation in India, and around 400 of these planes are on order by the Indian airlines. IndiGo also operates leased B737 aircraft.
There has been a delay in deliveries of the Boeing 737 planes due to various issues.
Ringgold said that if the Renton factory runs without any pause days, then it could produce up to 63 aircraft per month.
"We have no plans to run it perfectly where every line moves every night... our supply chain is rebuilding, and our workforce is rebuilding... This (facility) will only go to 47 (per month)...," she said.
She also said that the rigour in the production system has been developed and is "seeing the health of the line improving".
In terms of orders for B737s, those are sold out through the 2030s, while the current backlog is around 6,000.
Boeing is also diversifying its supply chain.
"A large piece of the supply chain comes from India... Having a strong supply chain is inherently one of importance in driving stability to our factories... on the supply chain, we are well positioned because of some decisions made in the last few years," Ringgold said.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Boeing 737 family planes are the most used aircraft worldwide, followed by the Airbus A320 and A321.
"In 2024, the Boeing 737 family operated 10 million flights and generated 2.4 trillion ASKs. The Airbus A320 recorded 7.9 million flights with 1.7 trillion ASKs, and the Airbus A321 reached 3.4 million flights and 1.1 trillion ASKs," it said earlier this month.
ASKs refer to Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) and is an indicator of the carrying capacity of an airline.
There are more than 2 million parts that make up a 737 MAX, and all of them come together during final assembly in both Renton and Everett, Washington. PTI RAM HVA
