An August court filing from Boeing said the wing-parts interruption could cost up to $6.5 million a day; Reuters reported that the 777 freighter line remained stopped after a late-September settlement as of Oct. 23.
The component at the center of the case is a trailing-edge rib kit used in wing production at Boeing’s Everett, Washington, facility. Reuters, citing Boeing workers and court filings, said the supply gap halted 777 freighter production for nearly two months and also disrupted 767 output, including freighters and KC-46 tankers.
The August complaint accused Falcon Jacksonville LLC, which does business as VAERO, of stopping deliveries of the kits. Boeing described the component as “indispensable” and identified VAERO as its sole supplier, Reuters reported from the filing. The statements are allegations made by Boeing in the supplier dispute.
The complaint presented the $6.5 million figure as a potential daily cost while deliveries were interrupted, rather than a tally of expenses Boeing had already recorded.
VAERO’s Feb. 6, 2025, company release lists Boeing’s 767 and 777 among the platforms supported by its Jacksonville operation.
A Boeing worker told Reuters that some components had reached the 767 line after the settlement. Three Boeing workers said the 777 freighter operation had not restarted by Oct. 23, Reuters reported.
The 777X was outside the stoppage because it uses composite wings, Reuters reported. Two people who spoke to Reuters said Boeing was preparing to move rib-kit production inside the company.
Boeing declined to comment to Reuters, and VAERO did not respond to the outlet’s request.
Boeing’s delivery update listed 20 aircraft in the 777 program and 26 767 aircraft delivered through Sept. 30. It did not split the 777 total by aircraft type. Boeing plans to release third-quarter results on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and hold its earnings call at 10:30 a.m. ET.
