by Douglas Royce, Senior Aerospace Analyst, Forecast International.
Boeing has stopped delivering 737 MAX airliners in the wake of a global grounding of the new model.
It will continue to build the aircraft at its Renton, Washington, facility for the time being while it assesses how the investigation into two recent fatal crashes of 737 MAX 8 aircraft will affect the program.
Boeing began the year producing the 737 family at a rate of 52 aircraft per month, including a small number of older “Next Generation” models remaining in its backlog. The company plans to increase the rate to 57 per month this year, but those plans may now be under review.
Forecast International has not yet altered its current forecast for the 737 family, which includes projected deliveries of over 650 Boeing 737 family aircraft this year (including over 590 MAX family aircraft). However, we are monitoring the situation closely and may adjust our forecast depending on the outcome of the crash investigations and the scope and difficulty of any design or technical changes that regulators mandate for the aircraft.
A military history enthusiast, Richard began at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet grew in importance as a research tool, he helped design the company's Forecast Intelligence Center and currently coordinates the EMarket Alert newsletters for clients. Richard also manages social media efforts, including two new blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, covering defense systems and international issues, and Flight Plan, which focuses on commercial aviation and space systems. For over 30 years, Richard has authored the Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International) services. The two books provide detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database that tracks all the contractors involved in the programs covered in the FI library. More recently he was appointed Manager, Information Services Group (ISG), a new unit that encompasses developing outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.
