January 2017 787 Mid Month Report

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	Number
Testing Complete	3
To be assembled in Everett	139
To be assembled in Charleston	101
Parts Arriving	6
Undergoing final assembly	9
Storage	0
Storage/Change Incorporation and Re-Work	0
Change Incorporation and Re-Work	2
Pre-Flight Prep	5
Production Testing	6
Non Customer Flight Tests	1
Ready for Delivery	5
Donation	3
Delivered	507
TOTAL	787

Ok so we're well past mid month but I did start this post about a week ago so I guess that still counts.

So far so good with deliveries thus far in 2017.  Boeing has handed the keys to 7 Dreamliners thus far and has completed customer flights on another 5 most (if not all) should be delivered by the end of this week.  The customers that have taken possession include American, United, Air India, Aeromexico, Etihad, Air Canada, and Hainan. All but 1 were 787-9.  In the next 4 days additional 787s will be turned over to Royal Jordanian (787-8), American Airlines, Xiamen, Air Canada, and AerCap (lsd to Latam).  All but RJA are 787-9s.  Boeing is already up to 507 total deliveries thus far.

787 production is starting to ramp back up after the holidays and while it appears that Everett production is almost back to where it should be, Charleston is going to be a little lower as they work on the first 787-10. In fact the Charleston plan is not due to roll out another 787 until February 8 which is a month after it most recent roll out on January 9.  Again this is all due to the start of 787-10 production and the diverting of of several 787 production to Everett to avoid disruption in the production and delivery of customer aircraft.  Boeing Charleston has now begun using the newly completed paint hangars when ZB451 (LN517, N825AAA) for American Airlines was rolled into Bay 1.  Currently it appears that Boeing is using Bay 1 and not Bay 2 yet as they're still flying the occasional 787 to Louisiana for painting.  It may be that Boeing has to finish installation of equipment in that Bay.  Currently Boeing is looking to roll out 6 787s while starting assembly on another 6.  Charleston has rolled out 2 and will start assembly on a further 4 aircraft.  Amazingly, because of the increase in the number of aircraft that Everett has to produce due to the 787-10 production introduction, the Washington final assembly line is taking 16 to 17 days to build a 787!  I'm not sure if that is sustainable but after the second 787-10 is built, I believe that Boeing will then return the Charleston plant to it's normal operating output but that probably won't be until March or April at the earliest.

787 Current Production Table
787 Full Production Table

Delivered 787 List

787 Production and Delivery Trends

787 Monthly Delivery Tracking

Current 787 Operators

Total 787 Deliveries By Customer
2017 Projected Operator Deliveries
2017 Projected Customer Deliveries
2016 Projected Operator Deliveries
2016 Projected Customer Deliveries
2015 Projected Operator Deliveries
2015 Projected Customer Deliveries

Boeing Completes 787 Paint Hangars in Charleston

The new paint hangars at Boeing's North Charleston campus. Boeing Photo

Boeing has completed a key expansion of it's North Charleston production campus with the construction of its dual bay paint facility which is situated across ramp from its 88-30 final assembly building.

Since the North Charleston production started, Boeing had to fly 787 built there to paint facilities in Louisiana, California and Oregon after completing the first flight though there have been a couple of instances when the first flight and ferry flight were combined into the same flight but it was rare.  The paint hangars at Charleston should now save the time and expense of ferrying the airplanes to third party vendors to paint the Dreamliners.

Sources have told me that the first airplane to be painted at the brand new facility will be ZB451 (LN517) which is a 787-9 for American Airlines.  It should enter Bay 1 around January 3rd after the conclusion of the Christmas Holidays.