Boeing says the remerger of its single and twin-aisle aircraft units is intended to promote best practice across all six of its civil aircraft programmes now that production problems have been eased. The introduction of a company-wide Process Council is meant to do the same across the entire group.
Boeing admits the merger of the two programmes is a return to the past, but claims it is part of a necessary evolution. "Splitting them up was part of the process that was needed to deal with the situation at that time," it says. "They needed to focus at site level on programmes at Everett and Renton so they could manage their way through the problems. Now we've got through them, we have to take the six major aircraft programmes and see how to take best practices across all of them, and share efficiencies and synergies."
Commercial Airplane Group president Alan Mulally says the reorganisation should also enhance "cost and quality visibility and performance". The merger leaves the Commercial Airplane Group with two units. Commercial Aviation Services (made up of Boeing Airplane Services, marketing and management, customer support, Boeing Business Jets, standalone businesses, e-commerce and business strategy) is untouched.
Boeing says the creation of a Process Council under head of operations Fred Mitchell should optimise the use of assets - "everything from company sites to tools and inventory" - and encourage best practice across all divisions.
• Boeing is to demolish 460,000m² (5 million ft²) of factory space at the former McDonnell Douglas site in Long Beach, California. A deal between Boeing Realty and local authorities would see the 93Ha (230 acre) site become a business park. It is surplus to requirements after the completion of MD-80 production and the winding down of the MD-90 and MD-11 lines. Production of the 717-200 is being consolidated at the east of the Long Beach site. C-17 production would be unaffected.
Source: Flight International
