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Reversing that trend is a central priority of incoming Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. As Boeing’s COO, Muilenburg has been pursuing improved operating performance over the past two years.

In a Financial Times interview, he cited the example of the 60,000 fasteners attached by hand on every one of Boeing’s 777 long-range aircraft. Robots, which will be used on a planned new version of the aircraft called the 777X to curb labour intensive tasks, are now to be deployed on the existing model.

Transforming Dreamliner production into a profitable enterprise will be an essential priority of the 51-year-old Boeing veteran.

As reported in FIN, fasteners have played a prominent role in the nearly three-year delay of Boeing’s new composite 787 Dreamliner, as supply disruptions and improper installation plagued its test aircraft fleet.