Boeing broke ground on Nov. 20 for the second assembly plant for its new 787 Dreamliner aircraft scheduled for its first test flight by the end of the year.
The facility at North Charleston, S.C. also will have the capability to support the testing and delivery of airplanes, officials said.
Jim Albaugh, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the launch "marks the beginning of an expansion plan that will strengthen the 787 program."
"Locating the second line in North Charleston will allow Boeing to successfully compete in the aerospace market and grow for the long-term benefit of many stakeholders," he said.
Boeing said last week that its 787 Dreamliner aircraft remains on track for its first test flight by the end of the year. It had announced on June 23 a fifth delay in the 787 Dreamliner program to fix a structural problem.
Fifty-five customers around the world have ordered 840 787s since the program was launched in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history, Boeing says.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009
