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Boeing is preparing to ramp up 787 Dreamliner production in Charleston, South Carolina, with the addition of a second final assembly line. On November 7, ahead of the Dubai Airshow, the airframer held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction at the new assembly building, which is scheduled to open in 2028. 

Driving Boeing’s Charleston expansion plans is a growing demand for the 787 widebody, for which Boeing has more than 1,000 aircraft on backlog. This year alone, the company has announced more than 300 orders for the 787-9 and 787-10, with letters of intent potentially covering hundreds more. Since entering service in 2011, more than 1,200 units have been delivered.

“We continue to see strong demand for the 787 Dreamliner family and its market-leading efficiency and versatility,” said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are making this significant investment today to ensure Boeing is ready to meet our customers' needs in the years and decades ahead.”

With a current maximum capacity of 10 aircraft per month, Boeing’s Charleston plant could double its production capacity after the expansion project is complete. Today, the facility produces an average of seven aircraft per month. 

According to Boeing, the $1 billion expansion project is expected to generate more than 1,000 new jobs in the next five years. The construction effort alone will involve more than 2,500 workers and 6.2 million construction hours.