Boeing Rolls Out First 787 Dreamliner at Increased Production Rate

• Program achieves 10 per month rate, highest ever production for a twin-aisle airplane

EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) has rolled out the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner built at the rate of 10 airplanes per month. The airplane, a 787-8 and the 155th Dreamliner built, will be delivered to International Lease Finance Corp. for operation by Aeromexico.

The new 10 per month rate is the highest ever for a twin-aisle airplane. The 787 program has now increased its production rate three times in just over a year, including to five airplanes per month in November 2012 and seven per month in May 2013.

EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 24, 2014 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] has rolled out the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner built at the rate of 10 airplanes per month.
Pictured here is the airplane, a 787-8, which will be delivered to International Lease Finance Corp. for operation by Aeromexico.

"This rate increase reflects the continued strong demand for the 787," said Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager, 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "A disciplined approach that combined employee teamwork with technology was key to achieving the higher rate."
Boeing assembles and delivers 787s in two locations: Everett, Wash., and North Charleston, S.C.

"The entire 787 team is now focused on capturing efficiencies at this historic level of production, as well as meeting our commitment to increase the production rate to 12 per month in 2016 and to 14 per month by the end of the decade," Loftis said.

To date, 115 787s have been delivered to 16 customers. The program has 1,030 total orders from 60 customers worldwide.

This airplane will be the fourth 787 operated by Aeromexico and will be used on the airline's Mexico City - London Heathrow route.

Boeing Media

At the rate of 10 airplanes a month without any hitches or glitches in the production and manufacturing chain process, or yet, the quality assurance aspect which includes the current mechanical and electrical setbacks facing the 787 program, assuming everything is constant, which include

a. no more orders from customers
b. no cancelled or revoked purchase contracts
c. no addition, revision to existing contracts or any other event

Given this scenario,  it would take Boeing an estimated 91.5 months which is equivalent to 7 years, 8 months and 15 days to fully deliver. The 787 design has endeared a lot of negative setback, and while the positive outweighs the negative, I hope that Boeing lives up to expectation, and not in the bid to push out orders, quality is compromised.