Boeing breaks ground on major expansion

Boeing broke ground Friday on a major expansion of its 787 Dreamliner production plant.

The project will add more than 1 million square feet of new production space at the facility in South Carolina. It will include airplane production positions, production support, and office space, according to a news release from the company Friday.

The expansion will also feature a preparation area facility, a vertical fin paint facility, Flight Line stalls, and more at the Airport Campus. There will be additions to the Interiors Responsibility Center, where many of the 787’s interior components are made.

“We continue to see strong demand for the 787 Dreamliner family and its market-leading efficiency and versatility,” Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, stated via the release. “We are making this significant investment today to ensure Boeing is ready to meet our customers’ needs in the years and decades ahead. This site expansion is a testament to the incredible work of our Boeing teammates and deepens our commitment to them, to South Carolina, and to American manufacturing.”

Boeing is ramping up to build 10 Dreamliners a month starting in 2026.

The project is expected to create 1,000 new jobs over the next five years.

According to the company, 90 customers from around the world have already placed more than 2,250 orders for the 787 Dreamliner family, making it the best-selling widebody passenger airplane of all time.

Airbus overtakes Boeing’s long-held record

Last month, the Airbus A320 overtook Boeing’s 737 MAX as history’s most-delivered commercial jet.

Airbus’ stronger finances provided more opportunity to explore new designs, such as an open-rotor engine that would save fuel, according to Bloomberg.

Contributing: Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest