“Aerospace companies are hiring to meet demand from airlines for more fuel-efficient jets, a space boom and rising defense spending due to geopolitical tensions around the globe, and wars in the Middle East and Ukraine,” claims Reuters.

Boeing plans to open the new North Line at its sprawling factory in Everett, WA, this summer, where the company will manufacture 737s for the first time. It will expand capacity for single-aisle production, allowing Boeing to better meet market demand.

The North Line will be capable of building all 737 MAX models and will initially focus on producing the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-10 variants. Production in Everett will replicate the 737 build process used in the Renton, WA, factory, apart from the introduction of the 737 Wing Transport Tool, which will ferry partially completed wings for final assembly in Everett.

Boeing is using a variety of hands-on training tools and methods to teach new employees how to build airplanes. For instance,

one program gives quality inspectors realistic practice before they reach the production floor. By working with actual airplane sections and searching for planted, hidden defects, new-hires build skills and confidence, reducing errors and improving inspection accuracy.

New employees at Boeing’s Composite Manufacturing Center in Frederickson, WA, are interacting with a full-size mockup of a 777X horizontal stabilizer. Built with real components, it enables assemblers to hone their skills without risking damage to production parts. It also allows manufacturing engineers to better understand shop floor challenges.