The Boeing Co. has opened its new 787 vertical tail fin assembly line in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company said Tuesday.
Workers in Boeing’s fabrication division unit will supply tail fins for the 787s that will be assembled in South Carolina. Boeing plans to begin final assembly of the first
North Charleston-built 787 next month.
“With increasing demand for our products and the development of two new airplanes, this is an exciting time for Boeing,” said Ross Bogue, general manager of Boeing Fabrication. “Boeing Salt Lake City has a key role in the future success of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.”
The Boeing Salt Lake City facility supports fabrication activities across all Boeing airplane models. It is scheduled to deliver its first vertical fin to Boeing South Carolina during the fourth quarter 2011.
“It was a team effort between Boeing South Carolina training and development, our Composite Manufacturing Center that produces the vertical fin parts in Washington state, and each and every employee at Salt Lake City,” said Craig Trewet, director Boeing Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake location is the second to build 787 vertical fins. Boeing’s fabrication site in Frederickson near Puyallup is the existing supplier, sending the first 787 fin out the door and up the road to Everett in March 2007.
Workers at the Utah location are not represented by the Machinists union, unlike Boeing’s production workers in the Puget Sound region.
Boeing plans to deliver the first 787 to Japan’s All Nippon Airways in August or September. With a backlog of 835 orders for the 787, Boeing plans to speed up production on the Dreamliner to 10 jets monthly in 2013.
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