Boeing ramps up production of 777 jetliner

Boeing has completed construction of a long range wide body 777, the first jetliner from the increased production programme that was announced in October 2012.

The aeroplane is a 777 Freighter, which will be delivered to Korean Air in February.

777 Freighter was constructed using new production techniques such as flex-track drilling in the body and wing panels, automated floor drilling and wing painting.

The increased production programme began after the first aeroplane parts entered the factory in Everett.

Boeing had kept a production target of 8.3 aircraft a month or 100 a year, in an effort to meet the growing demand for fuel-efficient aeroplanes and compete with rival Airbus.

Boeing 777 programme and aeroplane development vice president and general manager Scott Fancher said that the Everett facility was running smoothly company has reduced the time to build a 777, from 49 days to 48.

"Employee involvement teams have been critical to the rate increase," Fancher said. "Ideas from those teams are saving time while improving quality and safety."

Over the past 31 months, Boeing has increased the production rate of its 777 programme twice.

In 2011, the company increased the monthly rate from five to seven aeroplanes, and is currently producing 8.3 jetliners a month.

The 777 can accommodate 301 to 386 passengers in a three-class layout with a range of 5,240nm to 9,395nm.

It is available in six variants the 777-200, 777-200ER, larger 777-300, longer-range 777-300ER and 777-200LR and the 777 freighter.

To date, Boeing has received more than 1,430 orders for the twin-engine 777s from 66 customers worldwide and delivered 1,066 jet liners.

In December 2012, Boeing separated the production and design units at its commercial aeroplane division as part of its efforts to ramp up production by more than 25% over the next 18 months.

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Image: Boeing has increased the production rate of 777 programme twice over the past 31 months. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.