Boeing is exploring raising production of its bestselling 737 jet beyond its publicly stated target of 63 aircraft per month, the Air Current reported on Thursday.
The planemaker is drafting plans and assessing whether its suppliers could support raising output of its narrowbody jets to around 70 per month, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The lofty target would test the resilience of its supply chain and bring Boeing's production plans closer to rival Airbus' output goals for its competing narrowbody family.
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The studies are at an early stage and the higher cadence may not be adopted, the report said. The U.S. planemaker said in May it was raising production of its 737 MAX jets to 47 per month from 42, after consulting with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
"We're off and rolling at the 47 rate, and we should be there in the next couple months," CEO Kelly Ortberg had said at the Bernstein conference in May.
When contacted for comment, Boeing referred to remarks made by Ortberg at the conference, without providing further details. Airbus has long aimed for a monthly output of 75 A320neo-family jets, but repeatedly pushed the target due to supply-chain constraints. It now expects to reach 70-75 per month by the end of 2027, with plans to stabilize production at 75 thereafter.
It is currently producing an average of about 60 narrowbody jets per month.
