LOCAL NEWS
Boeing to restart production of 737 MAX in Renton
May 27, 2020, 5:32 PM
Boeing has resumed production of the 737 MAX at the Renton factory.
“We’ve been on a continuous journey to evolve our production system and make it even stronger,” said Walt Odisho, vice president and general manager of the 737 program. “These initiatives are the next step in creating the optimal build environment for the 737 MAX.”
The 737 program will start at a low rate and ramp up production over the rest of the year.
The MAX was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes that killed 346 people. The first crash included a Lion Air Max that crashed Oct. 29, 2018. The second was six months later with an Ethiopian Airlines Max on March 10.
Production was suspended on the 737 MAX in January 2020. At the time, the company said the suspension would be temporary and was not making any predictions for how long it would last.
Boeing announced earlier Wednesday that it will be laying off 6,770 U.S. employees in the days ahead, all of whom will be notified of their status soon.
