S.A. ceremony marks completion of work on plane.
By William Pack
Texas Insider Report: SAN ANTONIO Texas A gleaming 787 Dreamliner passenger jet was the guest of honor at ceremonies Boeing held Friday in San Antonio but not far from the spotlight were the commercial opportunities the jet symbolizes for Boeings 13-year-old facility here.
The event held in a Boeing hangar that once worked on the Air Forces KC-10 refueling tankers drew government leaders two Boeing customers from Japan and hundreds of Boeing employees to applaud the next step in the development of a groundbreaking and long-anticipated jetliner.
Speakers offered condolences to the Japanese executives for the losses their country suffered in Fridays earthquake and tsunami. Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade said she hoped the executives families hadnt been harmed and that San Antonios prayers were with the people of Japan.
The San Antonio facility is called one of the largest military aircraft maintenance and repair centers in the world. It had not performed a contract on a Boeing commercial aircraft until it was chosen after a three-year evaluation to complete final upgrades on the Dreamliner.
Dave Pickering director of 787 field operations said successful completion of the initial Dreamliner work will lay the foundation for other commercial projects in San Antonio including more 787s and possibly 747s said Pickering.
Other people in the commercial program are watching us very closely to see how things go" he said.
The local facility which employs about 1500 people will add about 450 employees temporarily for the Dreamliner work. The work is scheduled to
run through 2013.
Scott Vieweg director of operations for 787 work in San Antonio said about 150 mechanics and 140support people already have been hired for the initiative.
Currently three of the 35 Dreamliners that are on the floor or in production scheduled to come to San Antonio for upgrades.
The upgrades made in San Antonio eventually will be incorporated into the main assembly done elsewhere.
In addition three of the six flight-test 787s will visit San Antonio for refurbishment a more extensive set of modifications required by the wear-and-tear the planes experienced in the harsh conditions of testing.
Scott Fancher vice president and general manager of the 787 program said he was impressed by the citys workforce and the facility but could make no promises about additional work.
Boeing has more than 800 Dreamliners on order. After several production delays it is scheduled to get the first 787 to a customer Japan Airlines in the third quarter.
