Boeing Begins Construction of 777X Composite Wing Center

October 24, 2014

Matthew Monaghan

The interior of the new wing center is shown in an artist's rendering. The facility will house three of the largest autoclaves in the world.

Boeing on Oct. 21 celebrated the groundbreaking of its new 777X Composite Wing Center at the Everett, WA, campus. Permitting for the new 1 million-ft² facility was completed seven weeks earlier than anticipated, allowing for an accelerated start to construction. Once completed, the facility located on the north side of the main final assembly building will help usher in composite wing fabrication for the company's newest commercial jetliner and sustain thousands of local jobs for decades to come. Completion of the new building, which is expected in May 2016, will require approximately 3.5 million hours of work. At its peak, there will be approximately 1200 contract employees working on the project. Boeing is investing more than $1 billion in the Everett site for construction and outfitting of the new building. To date, the 777X has accumulated 300 orders and commitments; first delivery is targeted for 2020.