Boeing To Buy Vought’s Interest in Global Aeronautica

By Gregory Polek

March 28, 2008
Air Transport and Cargo, Aerospace Industry

Boeing announced today it has agreed to acquire Vought Aircraft Industries’ interest in Global Aeronautica, the South Carolina fuselage subassembly facility for the 787 Dreamliner. Upon completion of the transaction, Global Aeronautica will become a 50-50 joint venture between Boeing and Alenia North America, a subsidiary of Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica–a Finmeccanica company. Vought will continue to produce the aft fuselage for the 787 at its facility adjacent to Global Aeronautica in North Charleston, S.C.

“All three partners in this transaction–Boeing, Vought and Alenia–believe these changes will enable the 787 team to continue to overcome supply-chain challenges of the program,” said Boeing 787 general manager Pat Shanahan. Vought has suffered the distinction as perhaps Boeing’s most “challenged” subassembly supplier in terms of delivery punctuality.

Early fuselage sections have arrived from Vought and others “unstuffed,” or without their systems installed, because the companies couldn’t complete their scheduled tasks on time. Boeing blamed the resulting “traveled work” it needed to perform in Everett, Wash., as one of the key reasons for the delays to the program.

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