Aircraft Manufacturer Plans Capacity Doubling by 2028 as Widebody Deliveries Surge

South Carolina, USA – Boeing has officially broken ground on a new final assembly line (FAL) facility at its North Charleston production campus to expand 787 Dreamliner output and meet sustained global demand for the widebody aircraft.

• The new assembly building will double the site’s manufacturing footprint and provide added flexibility for storage and logistics. Boeing expects the expanded capacity to support production rates in the “low teens” by the end of the decade.
• The Charleston plant, which currently produces seven 787s per month, previously reached a peak of 14 per month when operations were split with the Everett facility before production consolidation in 2021.
• The new FAL is scheduled to open in 2028 and will support Boeing’s goal of maintaining stable, higher-rate widebody production as long-haul travel demand and replacement cycles recover globally.
• As of October 2025, Boeing’s 787 order backlog exceeds 1,000 aircraft, with more than 300 new orders placed for the 787-9 and 787-10 models this year. Over 1,200 Dreamliners have been delivered since program launch, with hundreds of additional options and letters of intent under negotiation.

Statements

• “We’re going to double the manufacturing footprint. We don’t need double, but it also gives us a lot more flexibility for some storage space as well. We think that the market demand will allow us to get to rates in the teens, and that’s what we’re focused on,” said Kelly Ortberg, Boeing CEO.

Source: Boeing