Hey! Where would you build the 777-X?
If the Boeing 777-X doesn’t get built in Seattle, where does it get built? Some think that Charleston, South Carolina is a shoe in, I do not. I think Charleston, South Carolina has some real potential and I’m sure that Boeing is going to look at it but let’s not forget that the 787 manufacturing line in Charleston has a way to go before it looks like a Boeing line.
Some think that Long Beach, California has a chance since Boeing is shutting down the C-17 line there. This simply proves that California’s laws on marijuana are the laxest in the nation.
The facilities in Long Beach are very old and were never efficient. Not even in the 1960’s when Douglas built hundreds of aircraft there each at a loss. Trust me when I say that even the McDonnell Douglas managers who are now in charge at Boeing don’t want to ever go back to Long Beach for anything.
I think San Antonio has a real shot at this line. It has the right airport, the right railroads and the right weather. And Rick Perry. San Antonio has a governor who’ll sell his soul to bring a manufacturing line like Boeing’s 777 to Texas. If Europe thinks they’ve seen everything when it comes to tax subsidies, they haven’t see Rick Perry spring into action.
Wherever it lands, I honestly don’t see it going to Seattle and I think that is because the unions answer to every overture from the company is to freak out and threaten the company with more financial impact.
Who puts up with that today? Not many. Boeing knows that, in the long run, finding other places to do business means it has a better chance of being cost effective in the airline game.
I just read that Boeing may announce as many as 250 orders for the 777X at the Dubai airshow. This on top of the fact that there have been no orders this year for the A380 makes me think that Boeing will not pursue a super jumbo. Boeing will pretty much cover the range of most major airlines with the 737/777/787 product lines. The 737 MAX and A321neo will go head to head, as will the 787 and A350. Airbus doesn’t really have an answer to the 777X as it falls in between the largest A350 and the A380. That could be the long haul sweet spot.
Wow, union rejected the deal. This will get interesting.