Summary
- Boeing plans to achieve record production of its 737 MAX jets, targeting a rate of 57 units per month by July 2025.
- Despite no official announcement from Boeing, anonymous sources reported the increased production goal, showing a growing demand for the narrowbody jet.
- The manufacturer aims to regain market share and compete with rival Airbus, which plans to achieve a delivery rate of 75 per month for its A320 family by 2026.
In 2019, when the fate of the 737 MAX program was uncertain on account of two fatal crashes in which 346 people lost their lives, many would never have expected what was reported today. According to London-based news outlet Reuters, Boeing has targeted record production of the once seemingly doomed narrowbody.
The latest version of Boeing’s best-selling twinjet, of which over 1300 have been built as of September 2023, will see record production, according to new insider details. Reportedly, the manufacturer has targeted a production rate of 57 units per month by July 2025, demonstrating a level of increased demand for the jet.
Photo: Marco Menezes | Shutterstock
Notably, the sources cited by Reuters are fully anonymous, and no official announcement by Boeing has been made on the matter. The Seattle-based manufacturer still lists 50 units per month as its official July 2025 production rate.
A natural response
Across the pond in Toulouse, Boeing’s primary rival Airbus has been able to rapidly ramp up production of its narrowbody families, including both the Airbus A220 and A320. With the 737 MAX’s woes seemingly in the past, the carrier is naturally going to ramp up production to improve delivery timelines and hopefully secure more orders. Currently, the European manufacturer remains on target to achieve a delivery rate of 75 per month by 2026 for its popular A320 family.
Boeing’s official plan, as indicated by company leadership to Bloomberg TV last year, sets 42 737 MAXs per month as a production target for December 2023. According to the anonymous reporting, that number is set to grow to 47 jets by June 2024, and then by December 2024 is set to reach 52 aircraft. Ultimately, Boeing will hope to reach its target of 57 by July 2025.
A strong recovery
In 2019, prior to the 737 MAX groundings, the manufacturer had the jet rolling off of its assembly lines at a rate of 52 jets per month, swiftly moving towards a target of 57. However, production slowed amid the jets’ removal from service and the company’s order book didn’t grow significantly.
However, amid rapidly expanding demand for the aircraft, producing more and more jets has become Boeing’s primary goal. As the company’s leadership shared amid a landmark order for nearly 200 MAXs from Air India, the firm has yet to eliminate a delivery rate of 60 a month by 2026 from consideration.
Source: Reuters