Thursday, October 29, 2009

Boeing puts second 787 line in S.C.

Boeing has chosen its North Charleston, S.C., facility as the location for a second final assembly site for the 787 Dreamliner program. In addition to serving as a location for final assembly of 787 Dreamliners, the facility also will support the testing and delivery of the airplanes. The Washington Roundtable, a group representing executives of private sector employers in Washington state, said the decision shows the group needs to work harder to make changes to make the state more competitive. (Sources: Boeing, Business Wire, 10/28/09) Gulf Coast note: The decision is of interest to the Gulf Coast, where Boeing is competing against the Northrop Grumman/EADS team to build tankers for the Air Force. EADS wants to assemble them in Mobile, Ala.