Boeing resumes production of the 737 Max

Boeing 737 MAX
Photo credit Kevin Burkholder/Getty Images

Boeing has resumed production of its best-selling airplane, the 737 MAX, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended early last month.

Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems is among Boeing's major suppliers.

Boeing says plane-building resumed at its plant in Renton, Washington, after going through a process of identifying and fixing potential problems.

Boeing shares of stock were up 5% in late-morning trading Tuesday.

Production and deliveries of MAX jets and another airline plane, the 787 Dreamliner, have been stopped several times in recent years to fix manufacturing flaws.

Boeing took orders for 49 planes in November but lost an order by U.K. carrier TUI for 14 Max jets.

Ever since a panel called a door plug blew off a MAX operated by Alaska Airlines in January, the Federal Aviation Administration has capped Boeing’s production of MAX jets to 38 per month. Boeing hopes to convince regulators that it's corrected quality and safety issues and can raise that number to 56 planes per month.

Boeing has been losing money since 2019, after two MAX jets crashed, killing 346 people. It needs the cash it earns from delivering new planes to begin digging out of a deep financial hole.

New CEO Kelly Ortberg has announced plans to lay off about 17,000 workers and sell new stock to raise cash and prevent the company’s credit-rating from sliding into junk status.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Kevin Burkholder/Getty Images