MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Boeing considering halting or cutting production of the troubled 737 Max aircraft

The 737 Max aircraft has been grounded since March following fatal crashes in Indonesia last October and Ethiopia in March, which killed a total of 346 people.

Boeing is reportedly considering either halting or cutting down the production of the grounded 737 Max aircraft after it failed to get approval last week for the plane's return to service from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before the end of the year.

The 737 Max aircraft has been grounded since March following fatal crashes in Indonesia last October and Ethiopia in March, which killed a total of 346 people.

The decision could be announced by Boeing any moment according to The Wall Street Journal sources.

Apparently Boeing management think pausing production of the aircraft to be “the most viable among difficult options” following the FAA's announcement on Thursday that the aircraft would not be allowed to return to service by the start of 2020.

The Seattle Times reported on Sunday that Boeing will stop the production of the 737 Max “this week or next” and is not expected to resume again until mid-February or early March when the FAA is expected to approve the plane for commercial use.

American Airlines also announced last week it would be cancelling Boeing 737 Max flights until April 7 next year at the earliest.

In a statement on Sunday, Boeing said they will “continue to assess production decisions based on the timing and conditions of return to service, which will be based on regulatory approvals and may vary by jurisdiction”.