Boeing 747, 767, 777 And 787 Manufacturing Site
Everett, Washington
The Boeing 747, 767, 777 and 787 airplanes are manufactured in Everett, Wash., which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Seattle, near Snohomish County's Paine Field. Paine Field is a regional airport with a 9,000-foot (2,743-meter) runway.
As Boeing's largest site, Everett also is home to hundreds of employees who work in the Supplier Management organization. This organization contracts with and manages Commercial Airplanes external suppliers as well as several internal airplane components suppliers that build airplane interiors, electrical systems and commercial electronics.
The Everett plant is so large that it requires its own fire department, security force, fully equipped medical clinic, electrical substations and water-treatment plant. Storm water is controlled through a system of engineered wetlands and holding ponds, the largest of which can hold 20 million gallons (75 million liters), enough water to float an ocean-going ship. The aircraft fueling area has room for five airplanes and pre-flight areas accommodate 26 finished jetliners.
The site's main assembly building, which the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledges as the largest building in the world by volume, has grown over the years to enclose 472 million cubic feet of space (13.3 million cubic meters). Its footprint covers 98.3 acres (39.9 hectares). In June 1966 Boeing purchased 780 acres adjacent to Paine Field in Everett. In January 1967, the first production workers arrived at the Everett site and, on May 1 of that year, the major assembly buildings were opened at Everett.
A group of employees dubbed "The Incredibles" assembled the first 747-100 at the same time construction workers were building the first factory, which was completed in 1968. From its original size, it was expanded by more than 45 percent in 1980 to house the 767 assembly line and by another 50 percent in 1993 for 777 assembly. The site, too, has grown to 1,025 acres (415 hectares), including 215 acres (86 hectares) of paved yards and parking, and 282 acres (113 hectares) of building area.
Each day, parts and subassemblies come to the plant from all over the globe. More than a thousand suppliers ship components by truck, rail, air and ship from throughout the world and all 50 states. The major assemblies of the 787 Dreamliner arrive by air, courtesy of a fleet of Dreamlifters, which are specially modified 747-400s.
The Everett factory accommodates production lines for the 747, 767, 777 and 787 airplanes. Production rates vary with market activity, but have been as high as seven per month for the 747 and 777 and five per month for the 767. Other manufacturing production areas at the Everett site include the paint hangars. Approximately 30,000 people on three shifts work at the Everett site.
Boeing performs pre-flight tests on all twin-aisle airplanes before the airplanes make their initial test flight at Paine Field. Following the test flight, the airplanes undergo final preparations at the Everett flight line before delivery to customers.
Today, more than 2,600 of the 3,000-plus airplanes assembled at the Everett site are in service. That represents more than 80 percent of the worldwide fleet.
Because of its size and magnitude, the Everett plant represents Boeing to the world. Dignitaries to visit the site have included former U.S. President Bill Clinton; former U.S. Vice President Al Gore; former Texas Governor and U.S. President George W. Bush; former Russian President Boris Yeltsin; Chinese President Jiang Zemin; Prime Minister Paul Keating of Australia; Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad of Malaysia; President Ion Iliescu of Romania; Prince Philippe of Spain; President Meri of Estonia; King Hussein of Jordan; His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York; President of Slovakia, Mr. Michal Kovac; President Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia; former U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert; former U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong; Microsoft Corporation Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer; Crown Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg; Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium; and Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa of Bahrain.
The Boeing Everett tour, which is operated through the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour, is located just north of the Everett site in Mukilteo, Wash. The center is open year-round to the public and hosts more than 180,000 people annually.