*** Update on 02/28/2020 @ 12:43 UTC – Inserted Statement from Boeing***
The final Everett-built Boeing 787 Dreamliner has come out of the factory. Bound for ANA, this specific 787 is the last one that will be built, for at least the foreseeable future, in the Seattle-area. Boeing will continue to have an assembly line in Washington, but it is moving Dreamliner production to its facility in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Boeing's final Everett-made 787 comes out of the factory
As Boeing prepares to shut down Everett 787 production, the final Boeing 787 Dreamliner made in Everett has come out of the factory:
Bound for ANA, the aircraft has line number 1095 and, according to data from Airfleets.net, the jet is a Boeing 787-9.
Boeing offered the following statement on Everett production:
"Our Everett teammates working on the 787 have played an instrumental role in the success of the program since the very beginning."
A bittersweet end to Everett 787 production
Quite coincidentally, ANA was the first airline to receive the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. That happened on September 26th, 2011, with a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the smallest version of the Dreamliner family.
The Boeing 787 was the next generation of widebody twinjets, and Boeing took the latest advancements in engineering and technology to create an economical, efficient, and comfortable aircraft for its customers.
ANA, in fact, was also the launch customer of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airline has used the Boeing 787 to power its global route network. The flexibility of the aircraft also allows ANA to put the Dreamliner on short- and medium-haul services in Japan and the rest of East and Southeast Asia.
Consolidated production in South Carolina
Boeing officially announced in October that it would be consolidating all 787 production to its North Charleston, South Carolina facility in 2021. The aircraft manufacturer highlighted the ongoing crisis and the need to enhance efficiency and improve its performance to weather the crisis as a reason for the shift.
As Boeing reduces its 787 production rate to five per month, the aircraft manufacturer believes it can easily combine this production to a single location at Boeing South Carolina. This consolidation should be completed in March. In North Charleston, Boeing already works on the 787, and it is the only Boeing production facility to produce the largest member of the 787 family: the Boeing 787-10.
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Everett will continue to build Boeing 747, 767, and 777 aircraft for as long as Boeing maintains a backlog. The 737s are manufactured at Renton and, given the large MAX backlog, that production will continue for some time to come. However, Boeing 747 production is set to end in 2022.
Will Boeing bring 787 production back to Everett?
Boeing does not seem very keen on bringing 787 production back to Everett for now. The reason is that, as long as Boeing is producing the planes at a reduced rate, it does not make a lot of sense for Boeing to face the costs of maintaining two production lines.
Until Boeing needs to increase 787 production beyond what South Carolina can provide, then it is most likely that the American planemaker keeps its 787 production consolidated in North Charleston.
Boeing's North Charleston production line has faced some issues of quality on the 787s. With consolidated production in South Carolina, Boeing will need to ensure that it can fix all of its quality issues on the 787s and keep its customers happy.
Are you sad to see the final Everett-built Boeing 787 come out of the factory? Let us know in the comments!