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Safran CEO says Boeing ( BA ) had a 'very good start' to the year

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Olivier Andries sees 737 MAX production at 42 a month by

year-end

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Boeing ( BA ) has a 'three-digit' stockpile of LEAP-1B engines,

he says

PARIS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The head of French jet engine

maker Safran said on Friday he was certain Boeing ( BA )

would reach key production milestones for the 737 MAX jet

during this year.

"Boeing ( BA ) had a very good start to the year in January," CEO

Olivier Andries said, referring to data that saw Boeing ( BA ) outpace

European rival Airbus in deliveries for the first time

in a single month in almost two years.

"I have no doubt that Boeing ( BA ) will reach 38 (MAX aircraft

produced) a month during the first half and that it will be at

42 (a month) before the end of the year."

Together with GE Aerospace, Safran co-owns engine

maker CFM International, whose LEAP engines power the 737 MAX

and some competing Airbus jets. Public comments from

engine makers on jetliner production are rare and shed extra

light on production plans given their critical importance.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed a ceiling

of 38 aircraft a month after a wrongly installed door panel blew

off an Alaska Airlines jet a year ago. It has said Boeing ( BA ) must

hit a number of interim safety metrics before the cap is lifted.

Industry sources say Boeing ( BA ) is currently producing fewer

than 30 of the jets a month.

Boeing ( BA ) has not said when it will reach 42 planes a

month, which is the next significant waypoint as it increases

production towards a pre-crisis level of around 56 a month.

Boeing ( BA ) CEO Kelly Ortberg told analysts last month: "I do

want to ... get through the approval this year and get to that

42 sometime towards the end of the year". He added that Boeing ( BA )

still had some work to do to ensure its systems were stable.

Andries said Boeing ( BA ) had a "three-digit" stockpile of LEAP-1B

engines at its facilities, suggesting it has at least enough

engines available for 50 of the twin-engined MAX jets.

Announcing results earlier, Safran cautioned that supply

chains remained a risk to growth.