Boeing begins final assembly of first 737 MAX

Boeing employees in Renton, Wash., have started final assembly on schedule of the first 737 MAX 8, the first member of Boeing’s new, more efficient single-aisle family. After the first fuselage arrived on Aug. 21 from Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, Kan, mechanics began installing flight systems and insulation blankets. Crews next moved the fuselage to the wing-to-body join position on the new production line where the first MAXs will be built. Mechanics then attached the wings to the body of the airplane. The wings feature Boeing’s new Advanced Technology winglets. Designed exclusively for the 737 MAX, they will give customers up to 1.8 percent additional fuel-efficiency improvement over today’s inline winglet designs. Boeing will build the first 737 MAXs exclusively on the new production line in the Renton factory. Once mechanics prove out the production process, the team will extend MAX production to the other two final assembly lines in Renton.