Current defense work at the facility is scheduled to be
complete in mid-2016, at which time Boeing will
transition the site for Commercial Airplanes work.
Facility staffing will be temporarily reduced during the
transition. The site will ramp up to full production on
747 fuselage panels by mid-2018, at which point it will
employ up to 200 people. Macon will become the twelfth manufacturing
site for the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Fabrication
organization, which has operations in three countries.
"This is good news for Boeing and our customers," said
Bruce Dickinson, vice president and general manager, 747
program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 747 is an
iconic airplane and a key part of our product strategy.
We appreciate the many years of support provided by
Triumph Aerostructures and its predecessors Vought and
Northrop in building this great airplane. Looking
forward, the Macon facility provides us with a new source
for metal fuselages as we work to address market demand
and requirements for affordability."
Boeing will invest approximately $80 million in employee
training, tooling and building modifications over the
next three years. "Boeing Macon has an outstanding
heritage of high-quality aerospace fabrication,
supporting those who serve our nation," said Obie Jones,
vice president, Quality & Manufacturing, Boeing Military
Aircraft. The fuselage panel assembly transfer to the Macon site is the first of
several new work packages for the 747 currently supplied
by Triumph Aerostructures that Boeing will announce in
the coming months.
Other 747 structures work now done by Triumph
Aerostructures, including the empennage, floor beams and
flight surfaces, is currently being competitively bid to
selected suppliers. Boeing expects to have sourcing
decisions for all the work completed this year. At
Macon, Boeing will equip the site
with new tooling and equipment, which will occupy the
entirety of the 220,000 square foot facility.
A new advanced manufacturing production system
will reduce the time to produce fuselage panels while
also increasing quality and enhancing employee safety.
"This is another great example of how we can leverage
the resources of the entire Boeing Company to create
greater value for our customers," said Kent Fisher, vice
president and general manager of Supplier Management,
Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "While our initial focus is
on production of fuselage panels for the 747, the Macon facility provides us a high-quality
alternative for structures work currently outsourced to
other suppliers. It's also an attractive option for
developing new airplanes."
The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and 747-8 Freighter
are the newest, high-capacity 747s that offer airlines
the lowest operating costs and best economics of any
large passenger or freighter airplane in its class –
while providing enhanced environmental performance. This
latest family of 747 jetliners meets airline
requirements for a passenger airplane that serves the
400- to 500-seat market and for a freighter that
continues the leadership of the 747 Freighter family in
the world cargo market.
|