As the airline industry continues to address the impact of Covid-19, www.boeing.com Boeing has said it will consolidate production of 787 jets at its facility in North Charleston (South Carolina), starting in mid-2021.

The decision comes as the company is ‘taking action to preserve liquidity and reposition certain lines of business’ in the current global environment to enhance efficiency and improve performance for the long-term.

Although Boeing says its 787 family has “outperformed other wide-body airplanes during the challenging market downturn”, its production system has been adjusted to accommodate the current difficult market environment while ‘positioning’ the 787 family to ramp up production as air travel increases.

Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: “The Boeing 787 is the tremendous success it is today thanks to our great teammates in Everett.

They helped give birth to an airplane that changed how airlines and passengers want to fly. As our customers manage through the unprecedented global pandemic, to ensure the long-term success of the 787 programme we are consolidating 787 production in South Carolina. Our team in Puget Sound will continue to focus on building our 737, 747, 767 and 777 airplane families.”

The company began assembling 787-8 and 787-9 airplanes at its Everett site in 2007, and brought the North Charleston facility on line as a second final assembly line in 2010. However, only the North Charleston site is set up to build the larger 787-10 model.

Production of the smaller 787 models will continue in Everett until the programme transitions to the previously announced production rate of six airplanes a month in 2021.

Boeing said it is assessing potential impacts to employment in Everett and North Charleston and will communicate any changes directly to its employees.