As the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic fallout take a toll in commercial aviation, Boeing is mulling a decision that could cost a lot of proud Everett employees their jobs in the near future. That decision would be re-allocating all of their Dreamliner operations at Charleston, South Carolina. While there are many benefits as to why Boeing would want to re-locate their entire Dreamliner production line to Charleston (i.e. being a right to work state as opposed to labor unions) there are a couple of drawbacks that could lead to potential problems. Some of the problems would include customer preferences, and potential weather hazards in South Carolina and I’ll explain as to why keeping production of the 787-8/9 in Everett and the 787-10 in Charleston is still a better option.
Customer Preferences
When it comes to customer preference, lately Boeing Dreamliners built in South Carolina have received negative feedback. About a year ago, there were customer complaints about how 787-10s that are built in Charleston have made unacceptable mistakes with production and inconsistent quality control with aircraft assembly. In an investigation from the New York Times, they found evidence of shoddy production and poor quality control which resulted in more investigations from the US Department of Justice which was also investigating the 737 MAX. One airline that really took notice of the quality of the 787-10s built in Charleston is KLM. The Dutch Airline claimed that there were several issues with the finished product such as loose seats, nuts and bolts not tightly screwed and an unsecured fuel-line clamp. As a result of all of these complaints, Boeing’s customers would prefer the Everett-built smaller 787-8/9s, because even though Boeing needs to pay more labor costs for their Unions in Washington State, the planes built in Everett are of better quality as opposed to the 787-10s. Plus given their close proximity to countries such as Japan or the rest of the Pacific Rim territories, airlines such as ANA or Qantas would be able to get the Dreamliners quicker that they would if they ordered a 787-10 from Charleston. Plus the demand for larger aircraft such as the 787-10 or 777X won’t be there for the foreseeable future and planes would start ordering the smaller 787-8/9s and given that Everett has a better reputation building Dreamliners there as well as having a better grasp with building the smaller variants, a move to Charleston would result in more delays with the inevitable supply chain disruptions thus potentially losing more customers. But customer feedback isn’t the only large hurdle Boeing would have to overcome with Charleston. Mother Nature would also have a say in the matter.
Weather
When it comes to weather patterns in Seattle, the weather tends to be fairly predictable with dry summers and wet winters unlike Charleston SC, which not only has to deal with hurricanes in the summer, but also severe thunderstorms that can be capable of producing tornadoes. And although Boeing had to shut down their Everett factory earlier this year due to snow for the first time in their history, storms in Seattle aren’t as frequent as they would be in Charleston with the aforementioned hurricane season and additional thunderstorms. In fact back in 2018 when Hurricane Florence hit South Carolina, Boeing suspended their operations in South Carolina and flew completed 787-10s to Everett to make sure they weren’t damaged by the storm. And with hurricanes becoming stronger every year, that increases the risk of Boeing potentially losing more money in addition to the money lost between the 737 MAX and COVID-19. Whereas with Everett, they can afford the occasional once in a blue moon winter storm that could disrupt operations because they are not as frequent nor as intense as a hurricane in South Carolina.
Conclusion
In summary, I believe if Boeing were to shift their entire Dreamliner operation to South Carolina, it would bring Boeing more harm than good. By keeping the 787-8/9 operations in Everett and the 787-10 operations in Charleston, Boeing will still be equipped to handle the inevitable influx of new orders when COVID-19 ends. But what do you guys think? Should Boeing move all of their Dreamliner operations to Charleston, keep it as is, or potentially move the entire Dreamliner operation to Everett? Let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky!