Monday, January 23, 2017

January 2017 787 Mid Month Report


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Number
Testing Complete3
To be assembled in Everett139
To be assembled in Charleston101
Parts Arriving6
Undergoing final assembly9
Storage0
Storage/Change Incorporation and Re-Work0
Change Incorporation and Re-Work2
Pre-Flight Prep5
Production Testing6
Non Customer Flight Tests1
Ready for Delivery5
Donation3
Delivered507
TOTAL787

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

9 comments:

NCPx said...

Boeing's investment in 787 ramp-up is simply amazing. The ability to "surge" in Everett to offload CHS temporarily, coupled with the on-time introduction of the -10 in CHS, is a testament to the engineering and logistics and operational strengths of the company.

Trapperpk said...

Boeing is showing an amazing production flexibility which demonstrates all the supplier and production woes are relegated to the "Boeing History Book" in some museum of flight. Boeing is positioned to complete 14 787's a month after the 787-10 starts delivery from Charleston.

HK Expat said...

LN 512 is B-1567

larmeyers said...

Seems like a really good sign that there are 4 -9's already in final at CHS behind the -10. Hopefully some good news soon that ZC001 assembly has gone well and on/ahead of schedule. Clearly a maturing operation.

johnv777 said...

Possible discrepancy, your Delivered table shows 7 delivered from Everett, but your delivery trends shows only 6.

Unknown said...

So Uresh -

With the small backlog for the -8 and all of the -10 production in Charleston, would you expect to see the -8 production moved exclusively to Everett?

With the emphasis on -9 and -10 shared components, it seems to me like they could optimize Charleston by removing the -8 from that facility.

Uresh said...

No I think they'll build them at both sites

johnv777 said...

I would agree that both sites could still build the -8, however the data in your table shows that LN 519 for AA, currently in Production Testing is the last "identified" -8 to be built in CHS. All the 32 additional listed -8s are scheduled for Everett. This might be an effort on Boeing's part to simplify the CHS assembly process to only focus on the very similar -9 and -10.

Pablo Alejandro Higuita said...

LN 535 for Avianca will be N794AV :)