Boeing to cut production of 737 Max after 2 fatal crashes

Boeing said on Friday that it was slowing production of its 737 Max jet and establishing a new internal safety committee after two of the planes were involved in fatal crashes in five months. The company will reduce the rate at which it produces the 737 family of airplanes to 42 a month from 52, said Boeing’s CE, Dennis A. Muilenburg. In addition to the Max, Boeing produces the 737 NG and a military version of the plane. Boeing will also establish a committee on its board of directors to review how it develops and builds planes, Muilenburg said. The company is making the moves as it confronts an escalating crisis after the crashes of two 737 Max planes. The Max has been grounded, and Boeing paused deliveries of new planes, creating a backlog on its production lines in Renton, Wash. The company has been stockpiling finished planes in Renton and in nearby Seattle. Airlines around the world have thousands of outstanding orders for the Max jet, which represent billions of dollars for Boeing’s bottom line in the coming years. “Safety is our responsibility, and we own it,” Muilenburg said. “When the Max returns to the skies, we’ve promised our airline customers and their passengers and crews that it will be as safe as any airplane ever to fly.” In his statement, Muilenburg acknowledged that new anti-stall software played a role in the accidents. “We have the responsibility to eliminate this risk, and we know how to do it,” he said.<br/>