Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- GE testing of giant GE9X engine aims for maturity at entry into service June 30, 2025
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 28. June 27, 2025
- Parent agency, FAA often at odds as politics outweighs safety June 26, 2025
- Electric Flight and the Ugly Duckling June 25, 2025
- Engine makers tout “Plan A” but have “Plan B” backups in R&D June 23, 2025
787 Line 2 aftermath
Update, Oct. 30: We’ll be posting our post mortem Monday, Nov. 2.
This isn’t the post mortem we’re working on but there is a lot of traffic to this site today, obviously looking for some thoughts, so here are a few rapid-fire ones:
- Boeing says it didn’t go into the labor negotiations with a preconceived decision. But we think if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. We always felt Line 2 was Charleston’s to “lose,” so to speak, and that Everett was a very, very long shot.
Wake up call? C’mon
The Seattle Times called Boeing’s decision to locate 787 Line 2 in Charleston a “wake up call.” So did a few others.
C’mon. Boeing has been leaving Puget Sound (Seattle) for decades, step-by-step. We predicted in April Line 2 would locate in Charleston. How many times does Puget Sound have to wake up?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yJBhzMWJCc]
In other news: Northrop hints at exiting KC-X competition
We were waiting for this: see this story.
It’s South Carolina
- Press Release
- Source: Boeing
- On 5:03 pm EDT, Wednesday October 28, 2009
SEATTLE, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA – News) today announced that it has chosen its North Charleston, S.C., facility as the location for a second final assembly site for the 787 Dreamliner program. Boeing evaluated criteria that were designed to find the final assembly location within the company that would best support the 787 business plan as the program increases production rates. In addition to serving as a location for final assembly of 787 Dreamliners, the facility also will have the capability to support the testing and delivery of the airplanes.
787 Line 2 Update, Oct. 28
Update, 11:30 AM PDT: The Boeing Board of Directors is to make the decision on siting Line 2 today or tomorrow–we have somewhat conflicting information. We’re trying for some clarification.
Original Post:
A flurry of activity erupted last night that reported talks between the IAM and Boeing broke down again, this time for the last time, and it appears Boeing will announce as early as today that Line 2 for the 787 assembly will be in Charleston (SC):
Freudian slip?
We’ll see how long it takes for this to get corrected. The headline is “Former Boeing CEO McNerney named to IBM board.”
US questions China aviation subsidies
Here is a story we wrote for Commercial Aviation Online October 26:
The US Trade Representative (USTR) has filed a series of questions with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over national, multi-industry state subsidies in China, including the development of the China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) ARJ21 and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC) C919, the first serious challenges by China to Western airliners.
Boeing gains STC on Italian KC-767
Let’s take a break from the Line 2 drama: Boeing issued this news internally about the KC-767 International (Italian) tanker program today:
Boeing’s International Tanker Program on Sept. 23 completed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification requirements for Italy’s KC-767 Tanker, receiving FAA approval for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).
787 Line 2: Countdown to Decision; Opportunities on Both Sides
It’s Monday, October 26, and the final countdown to a decision on where to put Boeing’s 787 Line 2 assembly site may come as early as this week. We understand the Boeing Board of Directors meets today or tomorrow; Boeing’s permit applications in Charleston (SC) to expand the facility there has a November 2 start date. Boeing management and the International Association of Machinists, at loggerheads for years, struggle to find an agreement that will tip the decision to Everett (WA).
We don’t need to recount the high drama of the last week, nor issues that we’ve already discussed.
Instead, we’re going to touch on some issues we’ve not covered, or at least recently, as well as some new things that have come up since last week.
IAM may well “blow it” over 787 Line 2
With an historic opportunity to engage in a radical shift of labor relations with The Boeing Co., the International Association of Machinists may well make an historical decision that will “blow it.”
As anyone in aviation who is interested in commercial aviation knows, from the plethora of news reporting in just the last 24 hours, the IAM national union and Boeing have been engaged in secret talks (yes, they have been secret, despite a denial to the contrary) to attempt to achieve an unprecedented 10-year contract with a no-strike clause. As Dominic Gates of The Seattle Times reported yesterday, these have deadlocked.