Boeing’s 747 Dreamlifter may get to haul 767 sections, too

A 20% boost in 767 freighter and KC-46 tanker production may come with some creative maneuvering to speed up and make room in the factory.

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Boeing announced Wednesday as part of its quarterly earnings that it was increasing output from 2.5 to 3 767s each month. Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems are in advanced evaluations to potentially ship structurally assembled 767 forward sections to Everett, Wash. for final assembly using the over-sized cargo hold of its ‘Dreamlifter’ 747 large cargo freighter, according to two people familiar with the planning.

The goal is to shift the forward fuselage work into the supply chain to free up space in the factory to accommodate the higher output and the quicker tempo of production. The 767 forward fuselage section, also known as Section 41 (pictured above in green), are currently shipped in pieces by rail from Wichita, Kan. to Boeing in Washington state where they are built up into a complete barrel.

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Jon Ostrower
Jon Ostrower is Editor-in-chief of The Air Current, where he leads coverage of the global aerospace and aviation industries. Prior to launching TAC in June 2018, Mr. Ostrower served as Aviation Editor for CNN Worldwide, guiding the network’s global coverage of the business and operations of aviation. Mr. Ostrower joined CNN in 2016 following four and a half years at the Wall Street Journal. Based first in Chicago and then in Washington, D.C., he covered Boeing, aviation safety, and the business of global aerospace. Before that, Mr. Ostrower was editor of FlightBlogger for Flightglobal and Flight International Magazine covering the development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and other new aircraft programs from 2007 to 2012. He is also an instructor at the University of Southern California in the Viterbi School of Engineering's Aviation Safety and Security program. Mr. Ostrower, a Boston native, graduated from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs with a bachelor’s degree in Political Communication. He is based in Seattle.
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