The last Boeing 787 Dreamliner produced at Everett rolled out of the final assembly line. Coincidence or not, the 787-9 line number 1095, which will be the last to depart the historic factory, is intended for All Nippon Airways (ANA), the launch customer of the Dreamliner family.
As part of its recovery strategy, Boeing announced in October 2020 that it would consolidate the production of its 787 aircraft at the South Carolina facility of North Charleston. That move would “ensure the long-term success of the 787 program,” according to Stan Deal, the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Initially planned for mid-2021, the transition was eventually accelerated to coincide with the reduction in production output from 6 to 5 planes per month. After airlines postponed deliveries of the 787 that had yet to be assembled in Everett, Boeing was able to speed up the closure process. At the end of January 2021, Boeing still had to deliver 458 Dreamliners out of the more than 1,500 ordered.
The 787 production system was adjusted to accommodate the current market environment with plans to ramp up production when air travel recovers.
The Everett plant will continue to assemble Boeing 747, 767, and 777 aircraft models.