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Boeing sees significant improvement in 737 MAX factory production

London: Boeing has seen a significant improvement in production at its 737 MAX factory, its new commercial aircraft chief said on Sunday, as the US planemaker struggles to overcome a safety crisis.

The comments in London, ahead of this week’s Farnborough Air Show, are the first Stephanie Pope has made to reporters since she was appointed earlier this year.

Boeing is mired in crisis after a door panel on a 737 MAX 9 jet exploded in mid-air in January, prompting a slowdown in production of its best-selling aircraft as well as increased regulatory and legal scrutiny.

Boeing also agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal fraud in an investigation related to two previous fatal 737 MAX crashes.

The company is seeing “significant improvement in flow at our 737 factory,” Pope told reporters, speaking on a panel with two other Boeing executives.

Pope became chief executive of Boeing’s commercial division as part of a broader management restructuring that will see Chief Executive David Calhoun step down at the end of the year.

The pope reiterated company statements that the planemaker expects MAX production to return to a rate of about 38 a month by the end of 2024.

Published July 21, 2024, 3:35 PM IST