A New Era of Manufacturing Takes Shape in Everett
What is Boeing’s North Line? The North Line is Boeing’s fourth 737 MAX assembly line, being built inside the Everett factory — the first time 737s have ever been assembled in Everett. It is scheduled to begin low-rate initial production in summer 2026, eventually adding capacity toward a rate of more than 47 aircraft per month.
Something significant is taking shape on the north end of Boeing’s massive Everett campus. Among the widebody jets that have long defined this facility — the 747s, 767s, 777s, and the towering 777X — a new kind of production work is beginning. For the first time in the history of the world’s largest building by volume, workers are preparing to assemble 737 MAX narrowbody jets.
Boeing’s “North Line” — a fourth 737 MAX assembly line being stood up inside the Everett factory — is targeting a midsummer 2026 launch, and April has brought the clearest picture yet of how that effort is progressing. Production leader Jennifer Boland-Masterson described the approach plainly: “We know how to do it… but we need to warm up our muscles. You don’t start with a marathon.”
Why Everett? Why Now?
The short answer is capacity. Boeing’s existing three 737 MAX lines all run out of its Renton, Washington facility — a plant that has been the sole home of 737 production since the original 737 first flew in 1967. As Boeing pushes to reach and eventually surpass a production rate of 47 aircraft per month, Renton alone cannot absorb the volume. The Everett campus, home to the widebody programs, has the physical space, the skilled workforce, and the infrastructure to take on the load.
The longer answer involves Boeing’s recovery from one of the most turbulent stretches in its history. The 2024 IAM machinists’ strike — which idled production for nearly seven weeks — and ongoing FAA production rate caps have forced the company to rebuild methodically. The North Line isn’t just about adding jets off the end of an assembly process; it’s about demonstrating to regulators, customers, and the public that Boeing can scale quality manufacturing safely.
The People Making It Happen
The North Line workforce is being built from three sources: newly hired employees, experienced workers transferring from Renton, and veterans already on the Everett campus.
Among the first hired are Jaden Myers and Alondra Ponce, who joined the program in late 2025. Myers captured the weight of the moment: “Opening a new production line is something special. So, we have to do it right.” Ponce noted the quality of the onboarding experience: “Training was so positive and refreshing… My managers and the coaches were always there.”
New hires begin with 12 weeks of foundational training — much of it conducted in Renton, where they work alongside experienced mechanics on active 737 production before transitioning to Everett. The approach is intentional: Boeing wants North Line workers absorbing muscle memory from people who have built thousands of these planes, not just learning from manuals.
The program also leans on institutional knowledge already inside Everett. John V., a nearly 40-year Boeing veteran who spent years in a quality coaching role, is among those transitioning to support the North Line. “This will be my first time working on the 737 program,” he said. “But we are doing the training right.”
What the North Line Will Build
The line will be capable of assembling all 737 MAX variants — the MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10 — though it will begin with a low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase that prioritizes quality checks over throughput. Boeing is also introducing the 737 Wing Transport Tool to the Everett operation, a piece of tooling that ferries partially completed wings from suppliers into the final assembly process — replicating how the Renton line works, now inside the Everett footprint.
Once the LRIP phase is complete and the line is integrated into Boeing’s overall 737 MAX production flow, the North Line will add meaningful capacity toward the company’s stated rate targets. Boeing has set 47 jets per month across all 737 lines as a near-term milestone, with longer-term ambitions reaching 63 aircraft per month when all four lines are running at full tempo. The 47/month target — once forecast for 2026 — has been pushed to 2027, a timeline that reflects both the deliberate ramp pace and ongoing FAA oversight requirements.
What It Means for Everett
Boeing’s Everett campus already employs more than 30,000 people, making it the single largest employer in Snohomish County and one of the most consequential job centers in the state of Washington. The North Line adds to that count — but the significance runs deeper than headcount.
For decades, Everett’s Boeing identity has been synonymous with widebody jets: the enormous 747, the freighter-capable 767, the long-range 777, and now the 777X. The addition of 737 narrowbody production shifts Everett’s manufacturing profile. It means more job classifications, more union-represented roles under the IAM District 751 contract, and a broader base of production activity that makes the campus less vulnerable to any single program’s fluctuations.
For the workers being hired into the program today — many of them Snohomish County residents who will drive to the Paine Field campus rather than commute to Renton — the North Line represents exactly what Everett has needed: new manufacturing jobs, on the doorstep, inside one of the most iconic industrial facilities in the world.
The Bigger Picture
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg toured the North Line earlier this month, a visible signal of executive attention on a program that carries considerable symbolic weight. The company is in a recovery phase — rebuilding production quality, restoring regulator confidence, and delivering on commitments to customers who have been waiting on aircraft orders for years. The North Line must go well.
Boland-Masterson’s marathon analogy holds. Boeing isn’t sprinting out of the gate in Everett. The LRIP phase will likely last several months before the line transitions to standard production flow. Every airplane that rolls off the North Line in its early phase will be inspected rigorously, and the rate will climb only when quality data supports it.
That measured approach may test the patience of airlines — Ryanair, Alaska Airlines, and others with large MAX backlogs — but it’s the right call for a program that can’t afford another quality headline. Everett’s North Line team knows that. The new hires know it. The veterans who’ve spent careers here know it.
“You don’t start with a marathon.” In Everett this summer, Boeing is lacing up its shoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Boeing building on the North Line in Everett?
The North Line will produce 737 MAX narrowbody jets — all variants (MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10) — marking the first time 737s have been assembled at the Everett factory.
When will the North Line start production?
Boeing is targeting midsummer 2026 for the beginning of low-rate initial production on the North Line.
Why is Boeing adding a 737 production line in Everett?
Boeing needs additional production capacity to reach and sustain 737 MAX rates above 47 aircraft per month. The Renton facility, which currently builds all 737s, cannot absorb that volume alone. Everett has the space, workforce, and infrastructure to support expansion.
How many workers will the North Line employ?
Boeing is hiring hundreds of workers for the North Line, drawing from new hires, existing Renton employees transferring to Everett, and experienced Everett campus workers adding 737 responsibilities.
How are North Line workers being trained?
New employees complete 12 weeks of foundational training, including hands-on time in Renton working alongside experienced 737 mechanics, before transitioning to the Everett North Line.
What is the FAA’s role in the North Line ramp-up?
The FAA has production rate oversight authority over Boeing’s 737 operations. The North Line will begin in a low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase with additional quality checks before being integrated into Boeing’s standard production flow — a process that requires FAA alignment.
Does the North Line affect Boeing’s Everett widebody programs?
The 737 program operates in a separate section of the Everett factory and does not directly impact widebody assembly (767, 777, 777X). Boeing has described the campus footprint as having capacity to accommodate both narrowbody and widebody work simultaneously.
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