Boeing to resume 737 MAX production before mid-year, unclear what will change

Wow, really? So soon?

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told reporters today the company expects to return to producing the 737 MAX months before the previously forecast mid-year return to service. The planemaker said it did not plan to suspend or cut its dividend.

It's not clear what if anything will change with the new design.

From Reuters:

The company announced a production halt in December, when the global grounding of the fast-selling 737 MAX following two deadly crashes in five months looked set to last into mid-2020.

Calhoun said the company is not considering scrapping the MAX and expects it will continue to fly for a generation. He also said it will not launch a marketing campaign to get customers to get back on 737 MAX planes. He also disclosed Boeing is starting with a "clean sheet of paper" on a New Midsize Airplane but it is not clear if the company is scrapping the existing design.

The company said on Tuesday it now expects regulators to approve the plane's return to service in the middle of the year. Calhoun said he did not see recent issues raised about wiring or software as "serious problems."

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Boeing CEO says he expects to resume 737 MAX production before mid-year [reuters.com]