Boeing has announced it will build the wings of its new 777-8X and 777-9X models at a new facility adjacent to its vast Everett factory north of Seattle.
The selection comes after the company’s main engineers’ union voted to accept an eight-year contract extension earlier this year. The company says it evaluated “criteria that were designed to find the wing fabrication location that would best support the 777X business plan”, and chose the Everett site for its proximity to the main 777 assembly line and to maximise the infrastructure it already has in place at Everett.
“Locating the new composite wing centre in Everett is a win for all of our teammates and partners,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Ray Conner said in a statement. “This will put our workforce on the cutting edge of composite technology and allow us to build on the infrastructure and logistics system we have in Everett. This decision will strengthen the company’s competitiveness and help it grow for the long term.”
Construction of the new 93,000sqm facility just to the north of the main Boeing factory will commence later this year. The 777X is scheduled for certification and first delivery in 2020.
