Boeing considers raising 737 production to 40 a month

Boeing Co. is considering increasing production of its 737 single-aisle jet to 40 a month from 31.5 now, said Laura Peterson, vice president for state and local government relations in the Northwest region.

That builds on the Chicago-based company's plan to raise the rate to 38 by 2013, Peterson said today at the Governor's Aerospace Summit in Lynnwood, Washington.

Boeing kept production of the 737, the world's most widely flown plane, steady through the recession and plans to increase it by more than 20 percent over the span of a year starting in 2012. Airlines are recovering from the recession and ordering new, more fuel-efficient jets to save money on oil and expand.