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Boeing’s (BA+2.76%) slow manufacturing restart in the wake of its nearly tw0-months-long machinists’ strike is continuing to pick up steam. The company just announced that it has restarted production of two more models at its Washington state factories in addition to its cash-cow 737 Max planes.
“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of #TeamBoeing, we have now resumed production across our 737, 767, and 777/777X airplane programs,” wrote Stephanie Pope, the head of Boeing’s commercial airliner division, in a Tuesday post on LinkedIn.
The machinists walked off the job in September when they couldn’t come to an agreement with Boeing over their union contract. While they and their representatives at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers worked out a new agreement, production lines fell largely silent. Eventually, they ratified a new contract with a 38% wage increase and agreed to come back to work.
According to Boeing, the 777 and 767 models make up 567 of its 5,499-plane order backlog. They aren’t as popular as the 737 Max, but their dual-aisle widebody configuration makes them more desirable for airlines that need jets that can carry lots of passengers for long distances.
Boeing had slowed down production even before the strike. After a door plug blew out mid-flight on a 737 Max plane in January, the Federal Aviation Administration told Boeing that it had to slow down on how many of the planes it built every month. Before 737 Max post-strike production earlier this month, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said that a stronger focus on safety and quality was why it took the company more than a month to do so.
“They’re still not producing airplanes, because they’re focused on their workforce, the training, making sure they have the supply chain sorted out,” Whitaker said.
Pope echoed that sentiment when discussing the 767 and 777 restart.
“Our teammates have worked methodically to warm up our factories in the Pacific Northwest, using Boeing’s Safety Management System to identify and address potential issues and ensure a safe and orderly restart,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “In particular, we have taken time to ensure all manufacturing teammates are current on training and certifications, while positioning inventory at the optimal levels for smooth production.”