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Boeing announced on Friday that it has begun the expansion of its Boeing South Carolina site near the Charleston International Airport (CHS), which is the home of the company's 787 Dreamliner program.
The expansion was announced in late 2024 and should increase production to 10 aircraft per month in 2026. Over $1 billion will be invested in the project, which Boeing claims will create more than 1,000 new jobs in five years. Part of the expansion will be a second final assembly building that will be approximately the same size as the current final assembly building, at about 1.2 million sq. ft. It will include airplane production positions, production support and office space.
There will also be a new parts preparation area facility, a vertical fin paint facility, Flight Line stalls and more. Additions will be made to the Interiors Responsibility Center, where many of the 787's interior components are made.
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There have been over 1,200 deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner and there is a current backlog of almost 1,000 airplanes. Boeing expects that the commercial aviation industry will need over 7,800 new widebody aircraft like the Dreamliner over the next two decades.
"We continue to see strong demand for the 787 Dreamliner family and its market-leading efficiency and versatility. We are making this significant investment today to ensure Boeing is ready to meet our customers' needs in the years and decades ahead," said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "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."