MOUNTING PRESSURE

Boeing Will Halt 737 Max Production in January: Report

The move by the country’s largest manufacturing exporter could inflate Boeing’s costs, spur layoffs, and impact the U.S. economy.

Boeing decided on Monday to temporarily halt production of its 737 MAX jetliner in January amid intense scrutiny over the corporation’s practices following two fatal crashes of the plane, The Wall Street Journal reports. Boeing grounded 800 jets globally after two MAX planes crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia in a five-month period, which left a total of 346 people dead. The corporation implemented production cuts to the model in April by 20 percent and continued to manufacture roughly 40 planes a month at its plant near Seattle, Wash. Airlines and government officials told the Journal that they don’t expect approval for the MAX to return to service until at least February. The move by the country’s largest manufacturing exporter is likely to inflate Boeing’s costs, spur layoffs, and impact the U.S. economy.