Boeing opens door to South Carolina deliveries

NORTH CHARLESTON, South Carolina, Nov 12 (AFP): Boeing has set the last major cog in place on its new commercial aircraft site in South Carolina, the object of union ire and a hot-button political issue. On Friday, Boeing cut the ribbon on a gleaming delivery center, where airline customers will come to take possession of their long-awaited 787 Dreamliner planes, about three years behind schedule. "Today, we celebrate the opening of the Boeing South Carolina Delivery Center and look forward to delivering our first South Carolina-built 787s in 2012," said Jack Jones, vice president and general manager at Boeing's site in North Charleston. "Customers will come from around the world to take delivery of their 787 and will see the great pride and talent of our Boeing South Carolina teammates." But the decision to expand production of the 787 Dreamliner, the new twin-aisle plane made primarily of composite materials, beyond Boeing's longtime West Coast home base near Seattle in Washington state has sparked furor from the Machinists union there.