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Boeing, key supplier agree on slow restart to 737 MAX production

Spirit AeroSystems makes the fuselages for the 737 MAX (Photo Credit: Spirit AeroSystems)

Recent news that federal recertification of the 737 MAX might not take as long as Boeing estimated was welcomed by airlines, but it is becoming clear that the aircraft’s production line won’t return to normal for a long time.

On Thursday, Spirit AeroSystems [NYSE: SPR] in Wichita, Kansas, announced that it had reached an agreement with Boeing [NYSE: BA] to gradually ramp up deliveries throughout the year for a total of 216 fuselage sets in 2020. The company does not expect to achieve a production rate of 52 shipsets per month, the rate of Boeing production prior to the 737 MAX grounding last March, until late 2022.

“The rate agreement is based on several assumptions, including Boeing’s expected production rate and the successful return of the 737 MAX to service,” Spirit Aero said in a statement. 

Boeing this month temporarily shut down the 737 MAX production line in Renton, Washington, when it became clear the Federal Aviation Administration wouldn’t clear the plane to fly by late last year, as Boeing officials had been pushing for. The agency is reviewing a Boeing software fix to correct a flaw in the automated flight control system implicated in the crash of two 737 MAX aircraft that killed 346 people, as well as other technical and manufacturing issues discovered during an end-to-end audit of the MAX program.


The crisis is not only hurting Boeing — $18.6 billion in charges for production overhead and compensation for airlines and a $1 billion net loss in the fourth quarter — but suppliers and communities across the country.

Spirit also suspended production and three weeks ago announced plans to lay off 2,800 employees to preserve cash. Spirit makes the MAX’s fuselage and other components and the MAX represents more than half the company’s revenue. Last week, third-party logistics provider DB Schenker said its unit that supports Spirit Aero plans to eliminate 255 positions.

The timing for regulators to lift the flight ban is still confusing. On Jan. 21, Boeing conceded that the FAA and global counterparts would likely not rescind the grounding order until at least mid-2020, prompting airline customers to pull the MAX out of their flight schedules until June. Then new Boeing CEO David Calhoun said the company would slowly restart production a few months ahead of the expected recertification. On Friday, the FAA said Administrator Steve Dickson spoke with officials at U.S. airlines that operate the 737 MAX “to reiterate that the FAA has set no time frame for completion of certification work on the aircraft. While the FAA continues to follow a thorough, deliberate process, the agency is pleased with Boeing’s progress in recent weeks toward achieving key milestones. 

“Safety is the top priority, and the FAA continues to work with other safety regulators to ensure that Boeing has addressed all known issues with the aircraft,” the FAA said in statement. 


“We’re actually encouraged at what we hope is a more realistic timeline and target,” said United Airlines [NASDAQ: UAL] President Scott Kirby on an earnings call with analysts a week ago. United officials say they don’t anticipate flying the MAX this summer.

The MAX was Boeing’s best-selling plane until it was grounded. Airlines are eager to get the plane in service because it can carry more passengers than earlier 737 versions and is more fuel efficient. As a narrowbody plane, its cargo capability is limited to loose pieces and small shipments, but the schedule frequency of passenger airlines is nonetheless desirable for shippers needing fast delivery.

Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com