Last Grounded 737 Max Leaves Moses Lake After Six Long Years

It's been about six years since the Boeing 737 Max was grounded by the FAA. And at that time Boeing needed a place to store these planes and one of those locations was in Moses Lake. 

According to SeattleTimes.com,
‘In what Boeing called “shadow factories,” mechanics maintained the engines and other systems on the parked planes, ensuring everything continued to work correctly. For some planes, mechanics installed a new software package to fix the MAX’s flawed flight-control system. That software — the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System — was implicated in the two fatal plane crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people.’ 

Even after being grounded by the FAA. Boeing continued manufacturing the 737 max for another 10 months before Boeing decided to cease production. So, then Boeing had hundreds of 737 Max planes in storage. 

It's been 6 years that Boeing has been maintaining these stored planes. 450 in all, 250 stored In Moses Lake. Now with that final plane moved from Moses Lake on Monday (8/25/25). All the 737 Max planes that have been in storage are now being “reactivated for delivery.” 

These stored airplanes have been a constant drain on Boeings finances. Because it was necessary for them to provide jet mechanics performing maintenance on these planes for all these years, and with everything else that has been going on with Boeing over the last six years, getting rid of that fixed expense has to be a relief. 

So, what's going to happen to that last 737 Max flying out of Moses Lake? well, the word is it will get a fresh coat of paint and be sent off to Air China in the not too distant future.
Last MAX stored at Boeing ‘shadow factory’ after crashes, pandemic departs | The Seattle Times
Boeing will hire hundreds of temporary employees at Moses Lake as it prepares for 737 MAX’s return to service | The Seattle Times