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Where does Boeing complete 737s outside the United States?

Short answer

In Zhoushan, where Boeing and COMAC jointly run a completion center — Boeing's first 737 completion plant outside the United States. The agreement to build it was signed in October 2016. Aircraft arrive in green, get their interiors installed, are painted, and delivered to Chinese customers.

Where does Boeing complete 737s outside the United States?
Gear Actuation Boeing 737-800 EL AL approaching VIE DSC 3259wPeter Haas (CC BY SA), vía commons

A shared completion center

Boeing and COMAC signed the agreement to build the Zhoushan plant in October 2016. It is the first 737 completion center Boeing has outside the United States. Construction began on a 100-acre site. The completion center is jointly run by Boeing and its Chinese partner, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), while the delivery center is wholly owned by Boeing.

What happens at the plant

Aircraft fly in green to Zhoushan, where the joint venture installs the interiors, paints the fuselages, and delivers the finished aircraft to Chinese customers. The joint Boeing-COMAC center completes the aircraft's interior work. Its scope was expanded to include painting with the addition of three paint hangars. The adjoining delivery center, operated by Boeing, handles customer acceptance activities and delivery paperwork. Among the aircraft to leave the plant is a 737 MAX 8 for Air China.

Size and capacity

The 660,000-square-foot completion and delivery center was finished 20 months after construction began. Boeing expected the Zhoushan facility to quickly reach its planned capacity of 100 deliveries a year.

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Where does Boeing complete 737s outside the United States?