Aircraft
Boeing Starts Final Assembly of 787-10
Latest development milestone reached in time for first flight next year
Boeing 787-10 fuselage sections lie ready for final assembly in South Carolina. (Photo: Boeing)
Boeing 787-10 fuselage sections lie ready for final assembly in South Carolina. (Photo: Boeing)

Boeing has started final assembly of the first 787-10 at its factory in North Charleston, South Carolina, the company announced Thursday. Built exclusively at the non-union plant, the third member of the Dreamliner family enters its next phase of development in time for first flight next year and first delivery in 2018. So far the model has drawn orders for 154 airframes from nine customers.