Boeing could reduce production of the 737 Max jet or suspend it entirely following two fatal crashes, according to reports.
The board of the US planemaker is meeting in Chicago today to assess the output of the troubled jet.
A decision on whether to suspend production is expected later.
The US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said last week that it would not approve the plane’s return to service before next year, reports Reuters.
The best-selling Boeing 737 Max jet has been grounded since March this year after being implicated in two deadly crashes.
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Boeing 737 aeroplanes are parked in the employee car park of Boeing’s Seattle factory
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Seen above the car park is the full storage area for planes at Boeing’s Seattle factory
D. Permadi
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Six 737s are currently being stored in the car park as they have not been delivered from the factory due to the model being grounded following two major crashes
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Boeing has incurred first quarter losses of around $1 billion following the crashes and ensuing controversy
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The company grounded their 737 model in March following their second deadly crash in months
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Seen above the car park is the full storage area for planes at Boeing’s Seattle factory
1/6
Boeing 737 aeroplanes are parked in the employee car park of Boeing’s Seattle factory
King 5
2/6
Seen above the car park is the full storage area for planes at Boeing’s Seattle factory
D. Permadi
3/6
Six 737s are currently being stored in the car park as they have not been delivered from the factory due to the model being grounded following two major crashes
4/6
Boeing has incurred first quarter losses of around $1 billion following the crashes and ensuing controversy
King 5
5/6
The company grounded their 737 model in March following their second deadly crash in months
King 5
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Seen above the car park is the full storage area for planes at Boeing’s Seattle factory
Lion Air flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta, Indonesia, in October last year, killing 189.
Then in March, 157 people lost their lives when Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 went down just outside Addis Ababa.
An anti-stall precaution known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was implicated in both incidents.
Following the worldwide grounding, Boeing has cut production of the Max from 52 planes a month to 42.
A Boeing spokesperson said: “We continue to work closely with the FAA and global regulators towards certification and the safe return to service of the Max.
“We will continue to assess production decisions based on the timing and conditions of return to service, which will be based on regulatory approvals and may vary by jurisdiction.”
Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair – which has 210 Max aircraft on order – has predicted that the aircraft will not fly before next summer.
