Boeing to boost 777 production

NEW YORK - Boeing is to boost production of its 777 aircraft for the second time in a year and will now make 100 planes annually, the US aviation company said Monday.

“In response to strong customer demand globally, we are increasing our yearly production to 100 777s,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive Jim Albaugh said in a statement.

The 777 has “a track record of proven performance including 1,163 orders, 907 deliveries and a backlog of more than 250 airplanes,” he said.

In March, Boeing announced it would increase production to seven planes from five per month starting in mid-2011. The increase to a production schedule of 8.3 planes a month will begin in 2013.

The move comes as the company continues to experience severe glitches in the production schedule of its next generation 787 Dreamliner, which had been scheduled to enter service in 2008, but is on hold till next year at the earliest.

The 777 was introduced in 1994 and is a long-range, wide-bodied aircraft with seats for more than 300 passengers, and competes with the A320 Airbus.