The first 737 employees on temporary assignment arrive in Everett for first shift. (Todd Kelley photo)

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A snowy morning gave way to a warm welcome as site leaders in Everett, Washington greeted loaned 737 employees as they began arriving for their first day of work in Snohomish County. The loaned employees will work to drive operational excellence and stability across several sites and programs as a result of suspended production on the 737.

“We highly value the contributions of our 737 teammates and know their support will be a great addition to our widebody programs,” said Jeff Klemann, vice president and general manager, 777/777X program and Everett site leader. “Our top priority is getting our new teammates integrated with our Everett teams and ensuring they have everything they need to be safe and successful.”

Boeing announced Dec. 17 that it would temporarily suspend 737 production, beginning this month, and that no layoffs or furloughs are currently planned.

The teams remaining at the Renton, Washington, site will use the time to focus on several quality initiatives, including improvements to standard work processes and kitting.

Many 737 employees have volunteered for temporary assignments outside Puget Sound, managing the assembled, stored MAX airplanes in Moses Lake, WA, Victorville, CA and other locations.

No decision has been made on when 737 production will restart due to the uncertainty about the timing and conditions of return-to-service and global-training approvals. Once there is a decision, loaned employees will start returning to their regular assignments in a phased approach.

The company has been working to safely return the 737 MAX to service since the fleet was grounded in mid-March 2019, following the accidents of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

By Todd Kelley and Catherine Rudolph

Signs in Everett direct loaned 737 employees to an on-boarding meeting.

Todd Kelley