Industry Boeing to resume 787 production in South Carolina

As most teammates are returning to work in early May, Boeing has decided to resume its 787 operations at Boeing South Carolina (BSC). The return includes all operations that were previously suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boeing said that managers will contact each teammate that is returning to work to provide date and shift information. The manufacturer has also stated that workers who can work from home should continue to do so.

Brad Zaback, Boeing South Carolina site leader and 787 vice president and general manager commented: "The health and safety of our teammates, their families and our community is our shared priority [...] Our approach to resumption of operations ensures we honour that priority by ensuring personal protective equipment is readily available and that all necessary safety measures are in place to resume essential work for our customers and prioritize the health and safety of our team. We have also taken the necessary steps to ensure a steady supply base for our operations."

Boeing added: "Senior leaders will return on Thursday, April 30, and managers will return on Friday, May 1, to prepare for the operations resumption. BSC teammates will return to work beginning with third shift on Sunday, May 3. First and second shift teammates will return to work on Monday, May 4."

To ensure a maximum of health and safety at BSC, Boeing has taken extra precautions like enhanced building cleaning, new hand sanitization stations, visual cues to reinforce physical distancing and voluntary temperature screenings.

With these measures, Boeing seeks to be as productive as possible under these difficult circumstances. Two weeks ago, the manufacturer announced the plans to resume operations in the Philadelphia Area as well.

Boeing is one of the most hit companies in the aviation industry. Even before COVID-19, the manufacturer had problems with the grounding of all 737 MAX aircraft and the following recertification process. Furthermore, the 777X performed its maiden flight but continued to show problems. This week, the manufacturer announced that it had to cancel the Joint Venture agreement with Embraer.