Boeing seeks location to build 777X plane launched at Dubai Airshow



SEATTLE // Boeing is soliciting bids from more than a dozen locations that want to build the new 777X airplane and secure thousands of jobs along with it, a company official said on Saturday.

Spokesman Doug Alder said requests for proposals began going out on Friday. Boeing wants the proposals returned in a few weeks, and the company hopes to make a final decision early next year.

Mr Alder declined to specify the locations of interest but said each had asked for the chance to compete for the 777X work and met the company’s qualifications. He also declined to discuss the criteria the company will use to assess bids.

“We’ll look at what might best fit our needs,” Mr Alder said.

Officials in Alabama, California, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas and Utah are among those who have talked about trying to lure Boeing.

Production of the plane will likely mean thousands of long-term jobs for whichever location Boeing selects.

Boeing had initially offered to build the 777X in Washington state but had sought concessions from union machinists in exchange for the guarantee. The union rejected a proposed contract, leading Boeing to immediately begin talks with other locations.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union earlier this month rejected a contract offer that would have meant the work stayed in the company’s traditional manufacturing site in the Puget Sound area, but with diminished benefits.

Unions representing more than 60,000 Boeing workers, most of whom work in Puget Sound, issued a joint statement late on Friday saying they are ready to meet the challenge of designing and manufacturing the 777X.

Mr Adler said Boeing is looking for one or more locations for work that will include wing fabrication and final assembly.

“We still have no plans to re-engage with the machinists in Puget Sound,” he said on Saturday.

The contract extension for Boeing workers in the Puget Sound area would have cut pensions and health-care benefits, slowed the rate of wage increases for new employees and provided a US$10,000 cash bonus per member.

Washington state officials still plan to compete for the work. The state recently approved tax breaks valued at $9 billion over the coming years and legislation to improve aerospace training programmes and the permit issuing process.

“That’s going to be stressed strongly in whatever we do going forward,” said David Postman, a spokesman for Washington governor Jay Inslee.

Boeing launched a long-awaited new version of its 777 passenger jet with 259 orders from four airlines at the Dubai Airshow last week.

Boeing chairman James McNerney said the order, based on commitments worth some $100bn at list prices, was the largest combined order in the company’s history.

The company began offering the 777X in May, but it is still finalising plans for the plane. Boeing has said it is expected to carry as many as 400 passengers and be more fuel efficient than the current 777. The company is aiming to deliver the first aircraft by the end of the decade. Airplane purchases are typically made years in advance as airlines and producers plan out their large expenses long into the future.

The long-range, twin-aisle 777 holds about 365 passengers, making it Boeing’s second-biggest plane. Since its first flight in 1994, it has been a best-seller for Boeing, which has sold more 777s than any of its other current large planes.

Company%20profile
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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Strait of Hormuz

Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.

The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.

Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.