Boeing 777F Production Still Halted After Supplier Dispute

A dispute with Florida supplier Vaero, Boeing’s sole source for trailing-edge rib kits used in the wings of current-generation 777 freighters and 767s, halted 777F production for nearly two months and disrupted 767 output, including freighters and KC-46 tankers. Although the companies reached a settlement in late September, workers said 777F production had not resumed by late October; Boeing had removed two partially assembled freighters from final assembly and was working to make the kits in-house. Boeing alleged in an August legal complaint that the parts shortage was costing as much as $6.5 million a day. The episode underscores the vulnerability of aircraft production to disruptions at a single supplier; the 777X was not affected.