Boeing resumes commercial aircraft production at Everett
Boeing has resumed production across its 767 and 777/777X programmes, bringing commercial aircraft manufacturing at Everett back online for the first time since a 53 day strike ground proceedings to a halt.
“Our teammates have worked methodically to warm up our factories in the Pacific Northwest, using Boeing’s Safety Management System to identify and address potential issues and ensure a safe and orderly restart,” confirmed Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
She added: “In particular, we have taken time to ensure all manufacturing teammates are current on training and certifications, while positioning inventory at the optimal levels for smooth production”.
Boeing had already restarted production of the MAX at its Renton assembly line earlier this month, with a spokesperson confirming the company had used its Safety Management System to “create programme specific-plans to identify, evaluate, and mitigate potential risks at each stage of the restart”. Prior to the resumption of work, FAA administrator Mike Whitaker had visited the facility, telling NBC in an exclusive televised interview that Boeing had “taken the last four weeks to get ready to start production” – a process the FAA has been in “very close contact with” throughout.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg had previously acknowledged that full resumption of production would not happen overnight, stating: “It’s much harder to turn this on than it is to turn it off, so it’s absolutely critical that we do this right”.
The resumption of Boeing’s Everett and Renton commercial aircraft production lines comes just a few weeks since Boeing alluded to potential expansion of its 787 Dreamliner plant in South Carolina; a location which also remained largely unaffected by strike action.
As of November 2024, Boeing has delivered just 314 aircraft this year so far, less than half of Airbus’ total of 643.
