Boeing on Thursday announced that its production rate for the Next-Generation 737 program will increase to 38 airplanes per month in the second quarter of 2013.
The company said the decision comes just months after announcing a rate increase on the company’s best-selling commercial jetliner from 31.5 to 35 airplanes per month in early 2012.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh said the increasing is in response to customer demand, because “airlines want this innovative airplane sooner to renew their fleets.”
The company has a current backlog of more than 2,000 Next-Generation 737s.
According to Boeing’s long-term forecast of air traffic volumes and commercial airplane demand, the company projects a market of over 21,000 single-aisle airplanes over the next 20 years, accounting for an anticipated 69 percent of the airplanes delivered and an estimated 47 percent of the $3.6 trillion total market value.
