New orders will have production lines humming again for the super-reliable and continually improving 767 BY DAN RALEY ave Abelson, dressed in a bright green safety vest, knit cap and earmuffs on a brisk D day in Everett, Wash., stands in front of a newly built 767 Freighter for FedEx Express, directing other ground-crew members as they prepare to move the jet from the Customer Delivery Center. Abelson has worked on the 767 for each of his 35 years at Boeing, almost since the program’s inception. Someday soon he may retire. The same cannot be said for his airplane. While Boeing is building 767-based air-refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force, the commercial jet version has defied expectations and experienced a rebirth. “The world loves this airplane,” said Steve Johnson, regional director for Boeing Commercial Airplanes product marketing and originally a 767 flightdeck engineer. “It won’t give up.” In July 2015, FedEx invigorated the program by ordering 50 freighters, with an option for 50 more. This came on top of the shipping company’s previous orders for 54 of these cargo jets. Other potential cargo-hauling customers began mulling new orders, too, according to Boeing. “I’ve had customers calling because they’re worried the skyline is full,” said Brad Zaback, 767 vice president and general manager, referring to his production-line capacity. “Our team is focused on winning-together strategies, and we believe we can deliver the 767 for decades to come.” That wasn’t so obvious not too long 30 | BOEING FRONTIERS Air of confidence
Frontiers March 2016 Issue
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