The North Charleston, S.C., site joins Boeing's Everett, Washington, final assembly, which began 787-9 production in
May 2013. United Airlines will take delivery of the first South Carolina-built 787-9.
"Our team is well prepared and eager to assemble the 787-9 Dreamliner," said Jack Jones, vice president and general
manager of Boeing South Carolina Nov 24. "Achieving this significant milestone in our final assembly operations demonstrates
that we're performing well here at Boeing South Carolina. We're looking forward to delivering our first South Carolina-built
787-9 to United Airlines, and delivering 787-9s as well as 787-8s to all our customers."
The 787-9 complements and extends the 787 family, offering airlines the ability to grow routes opened with the 787-8. With
the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters), the 787-9 can fly up to 40 more passengers an additional 450 nautical miles (830
kilometers) with the same exceptional environmental performance – 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than
the airplanes it replaces. The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering passenger-pleasing features such as
large, dimmable windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother
ride.
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