WICHITA, Kan., April 13, 2017 /CNW/ -- Spirit AeroSystems
Inc. [NYSE: SPR] and Boeing celebrated the first flight of the 737
MAX 9 Thursday when it took to the skies from Renton Field near Boeing's 737 Final Assembly
plant in Renton, Wash. Spirit
AeroSystems produces the 737 MAX fuselage, pylon, thrust reverser
and engine nacelle at its Wichita,
Kan., facility and the wing leading edge at its Tulsa, Okla., facility.
"We're proud to celebrate this first flight milestone with
Boeing," said Spirit President and CEO Tom
Gentile. "The Spirit factory has delivered more than 9,000
737s since they entered service, and we look forward to continuing
the legacy and delivering on our commitments through this newest
variant."
The 737 MAX 9 further strengthens the MAX family position in the
single-aisle market and enables airlines to reach farther on almost
every single-aisle route they operate today. Spirit is responsible
for delivering about 70 percent of the 737 structure to Boeing and
has been investing in upgrades to its historic Plant 2 and its
Wichita facilities to support
growing demand since 2014. Last year, Spirit opened a new 737
thrust reverser assembly area and delivered its first 737 thrust
reverser with a composite inner wall.
"It's always exciting to see your hard work take to the skies
for the very first time," said Duane
Hawkins, senior vice president and general manager of Boeing
programs at Spirit. "Congratulations to our Boeing customer for
this significant milestone, the first flight of the 737 MAX 9."
Spirit has more than doubled its 737 deliveries since it became
a company in 2005. Spirit's history with the program dates back to
the 1960s, when the 737 Classic launched and the site was a Boeing
facility. The company transitioned to work on the 737 Next
Generation program beginning in 1996, and the evolution continues
today.
The 737 MAX 8 program is in production and on schedule to enter
service later this year.
On the web: www.spiritaero.com
On Twitter: @SpiritAero
About Spirit AeroSystems Inc.
Spirit AeroSystems
designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense
customers. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the
U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. The company's
core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing
components for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit
AeroSystems focuses on affordable, innovative composite
and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers around
the globe. More information is available
at www.spiritaero.com.
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SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems