Boeing delays plans for record 737 production

Seattle/Paris - Company struggling to win regulatory approvals for its best-selling jet after two deadly crashes

Boeing has delayed plans to reach a record production rate of 57 737 jets per month next year, industry sources said, even before the US FAA announced a new delay in the 737 MAX's return to service which raised uncertainty over production plans.
The world's largest planemaker has also delayed plans to step up from the current rate of 42 jets per month to 46 jets this year until March 2020, as the company struggles to win regulatory approvals for its best-selling jet after two deadly crashes.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday that the agency will not approve the grounded commercial jet for flight before year end, and said it was investigating production issues at the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington.
FAA chief Steve Dickson, who met Boeing chief executive officer Dennis Muilenburg on Thursday, is concerned that the US aeroplane maker is pursuing a 737 MAX return-to-service schedule that is "not realistic", according to an e-mail seen by Reuters.
A Boeing spokesman declined to comment on the company's specific production plans. He said Boeing would continue to assess production decisions based on the timing and conditions of the 737 MAX's return to service, which will be based on regulatory approvals and may vary by jurisdiction.