Boeing to ramp up 737 production rate
16 Jun 2011
Chicago: Boeing Co plans to ramp up production of its hot-selling B737 narrow-body plane to 42 units per month starting in 2014, the company said Wednesday. It currently produces 31.5 B737 airplanes per month.
Boeing said it expects to increase production to 35 per month in early 2012, 38 per month in the second quarter of 2013and finally 42 per month in the first half of 2014.
Boeing has a backlog of 2,101 orders for the B737, according to its website. The company has taken a net total of 65 orders for the plane this year.
In May, Airbus said it will increase production of its best-selling A320 family of aircraft to a record 42 planes a month, marking a revival in demand across the globe.
Commercial aircraft demand is picking up as air travel recovers and airlines renew fleets with more fuel-efficient planes as fuel prices soar and consumer consciousness determines environment legislation.
Speaking at London's Royal Aeronautical Society on Wednesday, Boeing Commercial Aircraft chief, James Albaugh, said that over the next 20 years, there will be demand for more than 33,000 new commercial planes, valued near $4 trillion.
