Boeing (Chicago and Seattle) today announced the selection of its Everett, Washington, site as the location for a new composite wing center for the 777X program. Boeing evaluated criteria that were designed to find the wing fabrication location that would best support the 777X business plan. The new composite wing center will be located north of the Everett factory and will sustain thousands of Puget Sound area jobs for years to come.

Boeing selected the Everett site for 777X final assembly following the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751 approval of an eight-year contract extension earlier this year. As part of the contract extension, the company agreed to fabricate the parts for, and assemble, the 777X composite wings in the Puget Sound region. After studying several options, the company determined that the Everett site will meet its business needs for fabrication and assembly.

The new facility will support fabrication of the 777X composite wings and will be approximately 1 million square feet. Construction on the new facility is scheduled to begin later this year.

Assembly of the composite wings will also take place at the company’s Everett site, with the exact location to be determined in the months ahead.

The 777X builds on today’s passenger-preferred, market-leading 777 and offers more market coverage and revenue capability than the competition. First delivery is targeted for 2020.

Image: Boeing.