New 737 MAX Assembly Line Startup Seen

Boeing reconfirmed that its new 737 MAX production line will open this summer in Everett, Wash. Three other lines continue to produce aircraft at Boeing’s complex in Renton, Wash., about 45 miles south of Everett, which also assembles the 777 and 777X widebody jets but formerly produced the 747 and 787 Dreamliner aircraft. No cost has been reported for the expansion, which Boeing sees as a step toward raising its output for the narrow-body aircraft by nearly 40%.

The OEM has not indicated a starting date for the Everett 737 MAX line, referred to as the North Line, though it confirmed it will begin operating under Low Rate Initial Production standards, in conformity with Federal Aviation Administration certifications.

Hiring new workers to staff the operation is underway, according to Boeing, which will include a combination of new hires and workers transferring from other Boeing plants in the region.

Boeing has said the North Line assembly will be comparable to the processes in place at Renton, but will incorporate a new “737 wing transport tool” to move partially assembled wings for final integration with rest of the aircraft structure.

The new assembly line will be capable of completing all three variants of the narrow-body jets - 737 MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10 - the last of which is still waiting for FAA certification.

The 737 MAX is Boeing’s most in-demand commercial jet, with an estimated 4,845 outstanding orders from about 100 different airlines and aircraft leasing firms, including major orders from American Airlines, Ryanair, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. Due to

Due to 20-month grounding of the program following two fatal jet crashes, prolonged oversight by the FAA due to quality-control issues in the assembly process, and two-month strike by union workers in 2025, the 737 MAX program has been operating below maximum productivity for several years.

Last October the FAA approved Boeing to increase its 737 MAX production rate from 38 to 42 jets/month. The North Line will aid in that increase, though it will be an intermediate goal as Boeing ultimately aims to produce 63 737 MAX jets per month.

The new production capacity is critical for Boeing to meet its next production target of 47 aircraft per month, as Boeing v.p. and 737 program general manager Katie Ringgold alerted the suppliers to the conference to be ready “to support a year of growth” as Boeing increases production. Achieving a rate of 63 jets/month will take "a number of years," Ringgold noted.