Boeing starts new MAX line
Boeing confirmed a new 737 MAX assembly 'North Line' in Everett, Washington will open this summer and be capable of completing the MAX 8, MAX 9 and MAX 10 variants. Industry writeups say the line is intended to help clear backlog and boost output as airlines adjust networks — United is reducing MAX 8 international flights by about 16% while American Airlines still keeps its MAX fleet off transoceanic routes for now (americanmachinist.com) (centreforaviation.com) (simpleflying.com) (simpleflying.com).
Boeing says it will open a new 737 MAX assembly line in Everett, Washington, this summer. The company calls it the North Line. (boeing.com) The Everett line will be able to complete all 737 MAX models and will start with the MAX 8, MAX 9 and MAX 10. Boeing said it will mirror the build process used at its Renton factory, with a new tool to move partly assembled wings to Everett for final assembly. (boeing.com) Boeing has not built 737s in Everett before, and local coverage said the company is hiring and training hundreds of workers for the new line. Boeing 737 program general manager Katie Ringgold said in February that the line would open in “midsummer” 2026. (heraldnet.com) (lynnwoodtimes.com) The move adds single-aisle capacity as Boeing tries to deliver more narrowbody jets into a market still ordering them in large numbers. Boeing delivered 447 aircraft from the 737 program in 2025, and orders announced in early 2026 included 105 more 737-10s for Alaska Airlines and 50 737 MAX jets for Vietnam Airlines. (investors.boeing.com 1) (investors.boeing.com 2) (investors.boeing.com 3) Boeing is expanding the line under continued Federal Aviation Administration oversight after the January 5, 2024 door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX. The Federal Aviation Administration said it capped new 737 MAX production and increased inspector presence at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems after that incident. (faa.gov 1) (faa.gov 2) Airlines are also using the MAX differently than Boeing’s production push might suggest. Simple Flying reported that United Airlines plans to cut third-quarter 2026 international flying on the MAX 8 by about 16%, even as it continues to grow its larger MAX 9 fleet. (simpleflying.com) American Airlines is still not using its MAX 8 aircraft on Atlantic or Pacific routes, according to another industry write-up. That leaves Boeing adding output for a jet family that carriers are still fitting route by route, not simply deploying everywhere they can. (simpleflying.com) For Boeing, the immediate test is not whether Everett can build a 737 MAX once. It is whether the North Line can add planes, workers and pace without creating new quality problems as the summer opening approaches. (boeing.com) (faa.gov)
