The Boeing Co. is set to announce this afternoon whether Everett will be the home of the new 7E7 Dreamliner.
The fact that the company has decided to make the announcement in Seattle is "an optimistic sign," said T.M. Sell, a longtime Boeing watcher and author of a book on the company.
Boeing wouldn’t come to Seattle to announce it’s building its new jet somewhere else, Sell said.
Given that, "They must have some sort of bone to throw us here," he said.
The announcement is eagerly anticipated.
"We remain confident that we’re the front-runner and we’re anxiously awaiting the announcement from Boeing," said Connie Kelliher, Machinists union spokeswoman
That assumes the company’s board of directors has decided to go ahead with the new fuel-efficient jet during a meeting that was scheduled to wrap up Monday night in Chicago.
Boeing itself was tight-lipped about the question Monday, with a spokesman in Seattle referring all questions to corporate headquarters in Chicago, where another spokesman would say only that any announcement would be made today in Seattle.
"If we do have news to share, it will be done out of Seattle," spokesman Ken Mercer said. "But there will be nothing sooner than Tuesday."
The company will announce the decision at a press conference this afternoon in Seattle, following a meeting for employees who have worked on the 7E7.
If Boeing has picked Everett, it would be a rare chance to celebrate for Boeing commercial jet workers, who haven’t had much to cheer since the spring of 2001 when the company announced it was moving its headquarters out of Seattle.
Since then, its sales have fallen, more than 40,000 workers have been cut, Airbus has surpassed Boeing in sales and a series of defense-contracting scandals has led to the firing of chief financial officer Mike Sears and the resignation of former CEO Phil Condit.
Even with a go-ahead from the board, the fuel-efficient jet still wouldn’t be launched until mid-2004 nor would it enter the market before 2008. But offering it for sale would be an important landmark for a company that has been overtaken by Europe’s Airbus in the airplane-manufacturing business it has long ruled.
Boeing has not approved an all-new airplane program since the 777 in 1990. Pressure to commit to the 7E7 has grown since the aerospace giant pulled away from launching the 747X and the Sonic Cruiser in the past three years.
Analysts say Boeing can ill afford to turn its back on yet another new plane — especially one that seems to have solid market potential. New chief executive Harry Stonecipher, a veteran board member, seemed to signal similar thinking when he strongly endorsed the building of the 7E7 on his first day in the top post this month.
Everett reportedly was picked for 7E7 assembly work by a Boeing selection team over sites including Kinston, N.C.
Last week, the North Carolina Legislature was expected to meet to approve an incentive package for Boeing that would have included up to 600 acres of land, cash and a 600,000-square-foot assembly building. But Gov. Mike Easley did not include the perks in a proposal he forwarded to lawmakers, saying that instead of chasing Boeing, the state should focus on "more immediate" prospects to recruit tobacco and pharmaceutical companies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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