Boeing has announced that it has reached an agreement with five Japanese partner companies to perform significant work on the new 777X.
Japan Aircraft Industries (JAI) and Japan Aircraft Development Corporation (JADC) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to provide about 21 per cent of the major structure components for the 777X, including fuselage sections; centre wing sections; pressure bulkheads; main landing gear wells; passenger, cargo and main landing gear doors; wing components and wing-body fairings.
JAI is a consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), ShinMaywa Industries (SMIC) and NIPPI Corporation (NIPPI). JADC is a non-profit foundation established to enhance the competitiveness of the Japanese aircraft industry.
“The companies that make up the JAI are consistently high performers, deliver superior quality and have worked with us to meet affordability goals for the 777X,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Ray Conner said in a statement. “They model the kind of partnership we need from our global suppliers to best serve our customers and meet the changing demands in the marketplace.”
The agreement continues nearly 50 years of partnership between Boeing and Japanese aerospace companies on programs such as the 737, 737 MAX, 747, 767, 777, and 787.