Boeing has chosen its North Charleston facility in South Carolina to perform final assembly of the Boeing 787-10, the newest and longest mem...
The final assembly is scheduled to begin in 2017. Currently the 787-10 design is underway at Everett, Washington, were both 787-8s and 787-9s are assembled.
Boeing has three 787 production lines: two in Everett(including a temporary surge line) and one in South Carolina. The integrated production system currently operates at a production rate of 10 airplanes per month.
The 787-10 will be 18 feet (5.5 meters) longer than the 787-9. With 10 feet (3 meters) of that increase in the midbody section, Boeing says the 787-10 midbody is too long to be transported efficiently from North Charleston, where systems integration work is performed, to the Everett for final assembly.
Boeing plans to increase the 787 production rate to 12 airplanes per month in 2016 and 14 per month by the end of the decade.
The Everett facility will continue to assemble seven airplanes per month, while Boeing South Carolina final assembly will gradually increase from three 787s per month today to five per month in 2016 and seven per month by the end of the decade.
Since its launch in June 2013, the 787-10 has won 132 orders from six global customers.
The 787 family has won more than 1,000 orders and more than 165 airplanes have been delivered to 21 customers worldwide.
