Boeing cutting production rate of troubled 737 Max jet

Associated Press

Boeing is cutting production of its grounded Max airliner this month to focus on fixing flight-control software and getting the planes back in the air.

The company said Friday that starting in mid-April it will cut production of the 737 Max from 52 to 42 planes per month.

The move is not that surprising. Boeing already had suspended deliveries of the Max after regulators around the world grounded the jet following deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

In each case, preliminary reports say faulty sensor readings erroneously triggered an anti-stall system that pushed the plane’s nose down. Pilots of each plane struggled in vain to regain control over the automated system. In all, 346 people died in the crashes.

The announcement to cut production comes one day after Boeing acknowledged another software issue that needs fixing on its 737 Max jets, and the discovery explains why the aircraft maker is delaying its schedule for getting the planes back in the air.