Boeing plans to restart South Carolina 787 operations next week

Boeing Co. will resume 787 Dreamliner production at its South Carolina factory next week, after reactivating its manufacturing in the Seattle area earlier this month.

Most South Carolina employees will get back to work on May 3 or May 4, Boeing said in a statement Monday. The return includes all operations that were temporarily suspended April 8 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The planemaker is restarting its commercial-jet factories as the Covid-19 infection rate starts to abate in the U.S., providing an indication of the changes likely to be adopted by non-essential businesses. Returning workers in South Carolina will find hand sanitizer stations dotting the factory floor and efforts put in place to keep them separated at a safe distance, where possible, Boeing said.

The big question for Boeing executives is how long the economic turmoil spurred by the virus will continue to sap demand for air travel—and the company’s jetliners. Boeing is expected to announce lower production rates for the Dreamliner when it reports first-quarter earnings on April 29.

Boeing rose after the announcement, advancing 1.6% to $130.79 after the close of regular trading in New York. The shares tumbled 61% this year through Monday, the worst decline on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.