Boeing has started production on the 777-8 freighter by drilling the first hole into a wing spar as it works towards the first aircraft delivery in 2028.
About 100 teammates were at Boeing's 777X Composite Spar Shop at its Everett complex in Washington, US for the milestone occasion.
Operator Casey McDowell, who was at the controls, said: “You don’t forget these moments. Having our team together as we got underway on this airplane was special.”
Earlier this month, the aircraft manufacturer said it had created the first spar, the long beam that forms the critical load-bearing support, for the first 777-8F wing.
Teams at the Composite Wing Center have fabricated the spars, along with skin panels and stringers. Each wing has two spars – front and rear – that measure 108 feet (33 meters) long.
Fabricating a pair of spars for each wing requires 392 miles of carbon fiber tape – the length of the drive from Everett to the state of Montana. The combined weight of a pair of spars is 2,500 pounds.
Next, the finished spars will be moved to the main Everett factory, where they’ll be assembled into the first 777-8 freighter wings with the CWC parts and other components.
“You are leading the way as we introduce our newest freighter into our production system,” said Jason Clark, 777/777X vice president and general manager, speaking at the Composite Spar Shop gathering. “Thank you for building our future.”
The 777-8F was originally anticipated to come to market in 2027, but in October 2024, Boeing announced it would delay launch until 2028.
Customers have ordered 59 777-8Fs since Boeing launched the programme in 2022 with Qatar Airways as the launch customer.
