Boeing confirmed on Thursday that it will consolidate production of the 787 Dreamliner in just one site starting in 2021. The North Charleston, South Carolina unit was indeed chosen by airframer, as expected.
The manufacturer justified the decision by stating that “only the North Charleston site is set up to build the largest 787-10 model”. Boeing, however, did not cite the fact that production costs at the site are lower than in the so-called Puget Sound region, where the company’s oldest plants are located.
Despite this, the 787 will continue to be assembled at Everett until mid-2021 when the transition to the rate of six aircraft produced per month is completed.
526 airplanes pending delivery
“We recognize that production decisions can impact our teammates, industry and our community partners,” said Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We extensively evaluated every aspect of the program and engaged with our stakeholders on how we can best partner moving forward. These efforts will further refine 787 production and enhance the airplane’s value proposition.”
The North Charleston plant went into operation in 2010, three years after the start of production of the 787. At the site, Boeing also produces several components of the wide body jet such as its composite material structures.
According to Boeing’s orders and deliveries report, there were 526 planes of the model to be delivered by August.
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