More hints that Boeing’s second 787 line won’t be here …

Published 7:54 am Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Where will Boeing put a second 787 final assembly line?

This is turning into the story that won’t go away (second, of course, to the tanker).

During the legislative session, politicians in Olympia wrangled with the question. And, in April, analyst Scott Hamilton gave his predictions on the subject to the Economic Development Council of Snohomish County.

But here it is again.

Over in Paris, Flight Blogger’s Jon Ostrower asked Boeing’s Pat Shanahan about where Boeing might place a second 787 line. Here’s the story.

Shanahan indicates that the decision might be sooner than we’ve been led to believe previously (if I remember correctly, Boeing’s CEO said 2010 for a decision).

Although Shanahan didn’t offer a list of locations that Boeing’s considering, he told Ostrower that there are “lots of geographical options…the real options are around ‘how do you secure assurance of delivery? And I think that’s been a discussion topic around some of the disruption we’ve realized…at Boeing.”

Shanahan is referring to the 57-day Machinists’ strike last fall as a factor in the decision on a second line. While the strike certainly doesn’t account for the nearly two-year delay on the 787 program, it did lead to late deliveries of other aircraft, namely those for Virgin’s Richard Branson, who was none too happy with Boeing earlier this year.

Shanahan isn’t the only person with ties to Boeing to hint that the second line might go elsewhere.

In a recent interview for Crosscut, Fred Jarrett, a King County executive candidate, said outright that second line won’t be here. Jarrett claims no inside knowledge.

“The second line will be elsewhere, in Texas or the South. Boeing is just doing that to have more options. The real question is about future narrow body assembly,” Jarrett said.

Readers, is this all just talk or will Boeing really put its second 787 line elsewhere?