Final Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Departs Long Beach Assembly Facility

SINGAPORE, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The final Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military airlifter at the company's plant in Long Beach, California (United States), departed on last Sunday, marking the official end of the aircraft's production. In a statement, Boeing said the airlifter flew over a crowd and the facility before heading to the company's San Antonio location, where it will remain until delivery to the Qatar Emiri Air Force in early 2016. With the completion of C-17 production, Boeing will continue the Globemaster III legacy, providing support, maintenance and upgrades to the worldwide C-17 fleet under the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics agreement. "This is truly the end of an era. It's a sad day, but one that all of the Boeing employees and suppliers who have worked over the years building this great aircraft can be proud of. "Our team's work and dedication and professionalism created one of the world's leading airlifters, a plane that is at the forefront for providing humanitarian aid and has changed the way the US Air Force and our international partners mobilise for operations and aeromedical support," said Nan Bouchard, vice president and C-17 programme manager. The decision to end production of the C-17 production programme was announced in 2013. Since the first C-17 took to the air on Sept 15, 1991, the fleets for the US Air Force and international partners have amassed more than three million flying hours, supporting airlift of troops and large cargo,precision airdrop of humanitarian supplies and lifesaving aeromedical missions. Boeing has been a part of California and its rich aerospace legacy for more than 90 years, with more than 15,000 airplanes – military and commercial – produced at Boeing facilities. It includes those run by Boeing legacy companies, McDonnell Aircraft Company, Douglas Aircraft Company and North American Aviation. Today, Southern California occupies a diversified footprint of Boeing operations, including commercial aviation, satellite manufacturing and new markets such as cyber security. Boeing has more than 16,000 employees in California and remains committed to the defence and commercial business in the state. A unit of The Boeing Company, Defence, Space & Security, is one of the world's largest defence, space and security businesses specialising in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, the company is a US$31 billion business with about 50,000 employees worldwide. --BERNAMA