Boeing’s 737 Max Production is Back, Because It Has to Be

Boeing quietly restarted production of its troubled cash-cow 737 Max last week, just as everyone stopped paying attention. The resumption follows a seven-week strike by 33,000 factory workers who, we assume, got tired of waiting for someone else to fix Boeing’s problems. Three sources spilled the beans to CNBC, though Boeing (keeping it on brand) declined to confirm or deny anything as if the sound of drills in Renton wouldn’t give it away.

Restarting the 737 Max line isn’t optional for Boeing. With 4,200 orders from airlines betting big on post-pandemic travel demand, the planemaker needs every Max it can churn out. The problem? The 737 Max is a magnet for drama. Between the infamous crashes, supply chain fiascos, Covid shutdowns, safety lapses, and the FAA micromanaging production after a door panel bolted itself into infamy mid-flight, it’s a wonder they make any planes at all.

The FAA capped production at 38 jets a month in January, thwarting Boeing’s ambitious goal of ramping up to 56 per month. The regulator’s reasoning was sound: that missing four-bolt panel flew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in January, which, while arguably aerodynamic, didn’t exactly scream “safe.”

Now Boeing is cranking the machines back on, likely hoping no bolts go missing this time. It might claw back its reputation if the company can avoid further disasters, meet demand, and untangle supply chain issues. For now, though, restarting production feels less like a victory lap and more like reopening a haunted house. Sure, it’s progress (and finally, some good news for CEO Kelly Ortberg), but there are more than a few ghosts to exorcise.