Boeing workers began assembly of the 1,000th 777 aircraft today in Everett.
The airplane is a Boeing 777-300 Extended Range jet, which will be delivered to Dubai-based Emirates Airline in March.
Boeing reached the 1,000th jet mark on the 777 faster than it had on any other widebody aircraft.
“We reached this milestone in only 16 years, eight years sooner than the runner up the 747, because of the enormous popularity of the airplane by the airlines that operate it, and the passengers who fly on it,” Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager of the 777 program, said in a statement.
Boeing workers in Everett loaded the 1000th 777’s wing spar – the main support for the wing structure – into a tool that automatically drills, measures and installs more than 5,000 fasteners into the spar. Employees at Boeing’s fabrication site in Auburn build the spar components.
Emirates is the largest 777 customer with 95 777s in its fleet; the 1,000th 777 will be its 102nd. Sixty-four airlines have ordered 1,295 Boeing 777s.
“The numbers prove that the 777 is the world’s preferred airplane,” Loftis said.
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