Boeing Breaks Ground on $1B Expansion, 1,000 Jobs for North Charleston

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Boeing broke ground Friday on a $1 billion expansion of its 787 Dreamliner facilities at its South Carolina campus near Charleston International Airport, a move set to create more than 1,000 permanent jobs over five years while employing 2,500 construction workers during the build.[1][2][3] The project adds over 1 million square feet, including a new 1.2 million-square-foot final assembly building, parts preparation facilities, vertical fin painting operations, expanded flight line stalls and upgrades to the Interiors Responsibility Center.[2][3] HITT Contracting and BE&K Building Group lead construction, projecting over 6.2 million labor hours.[2] The expansion supports Boeing's goal to boost 787 production to 10 aircraft per month by 2026, addressing a backlog of nearly 1,000 Dreamliners and a market demand for 7,800 new widebody planes over 20 years.[1][2] First announced in late 2024, the upgrades span the main North Charleston site and a secondary campus, building on operations that began in 2009.[2][3] Boeing now employs more than 8,200 workers across North Charleston and Orangeburg, producing key 787 components like aft and mid-fuselage sections, and partners with nearly 200 South Carolina suppliers.[2][3][5] Gov. Henry McMaster praised the investment, saying it "will strengthen our position as a global leader in aerospace and advanced manufacturing."[4] U.S. Sens. Tim Scott and Rep. James Clyburn joined the ceremony alongside Boeing officials and local leaders like Scott Bessent, underscoring the project's role in the Lowcountry's economic growth.[3][4] As South Carolina's aerospace sector expands, the initiative cements the state's status as a manufacturing powerhouse.