Boeing Looks To Shut Down C-17 Line By 2009 | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.20.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.28.24

Airborne-FlightTraining-05.29.24 Airborne-Unlimited-05.30.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.24.24

Fri, Aug 18, 2006

Boeing Looks To Shut Down C-17 Line By 2009

Takes First Step Towards Closing Long Beach Plant

It looks to only be a matter of time before aircraft production leaves Southern California for good... as Boeing announced Friday it is taking the first steps towards closing its last facility in Long Beach, which produces the mammoth C-17 Globemaster III military transport plane.

Boeing told the Los Angeles Times it began notifying C-17 suppliers to stop producing parts for the aircraft this week... and was expected to inform the approximately 5,500 workers in Long Beach at a meeting this morning.

Due to the long lead time required to inform all suppliers, Boeing had said it expected to reach a decision on the plant's future by August, although the company has enough orders for the C-17 to keep the plant open for the next three years.

Those orders appear to be the last for the capable military transport, however -- as the Pentagon hasn't ordered more C-17s, despite pleadings from local, state, and federal officials.

Just this week, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote to President Bush to ask for more funding for the C-17... saying the program "has a multibillion-dollar impact on the local economy" and that the C-17 "plays an essential role in military operations and the global war on terror," according to the Times.

Without any new orders, Boeing has paid about $100 million out of its own pocket to keep the assembly line moving. Originally, the USAF ordered 222 C-17s... but later scaled that number back to 180, due to budget constraints.

While the end may be in sight for the C-17, the aircraft's public presence has become much larger in the past year -- after high-profile missions ferrying food and other supplies in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricanes. The aircraft is also used to carry troops and cargo throughout the globe, most notably in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The C-17 is one of the Defense Department's most successful acquisition programs ever," said Ron Marcotte, vice president and general manager of Boeing Global Mobility Systems. "No one questions its operational value. But we can't continue carrying the program without additional orders from the US Government."

The decision to scale back parts for the C-17 comes three months after the final two Boeing 717s left the company's commercial plant in Long Beach. Like the Globemaster III, Boeing inherited that program -- and the plant -- following its 1997 buyout of McDonnell Douglas.

FMI: www.boeing.com

Advertisement

More News

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.29.24)

Aero Linx: International Association of Professional Gyroplane Training (IAPGT) We are an Association of people who fly, build or regulate Gyroplanes, who have a dream of a single >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.29.24): NORDO (No Radio)

NORDO (No Radio) Aircraft that cannot or do not communicate by radio when radio communication is required are referred to as “NORDO.”>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.30.24): Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS)

Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) The operation of a UAS beyond the visual capability of the flight crew members (i.e., remote pilot in command [RPIC], the person manipulating th>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.30.24)

Aero Linx: Malibu M-Class Owners and Pilots Association (MMOPA) The Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the interest>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC