Boeing Cities Sequestration, Budget Cuts As Reason For C-17 Demise

Boeing will end production of its C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft in 2015 amid widespread budget cuts and sequestration, a senior executive said on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show on Monday.

Calling the C-17 closure a very difficult but necessary decision, Dennis Muilenburg, president and chief executive of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said, “Our customers around the world face very tough budget environments. While the desire for the C-17’s capabilities is high, budgets cannot support additional purchases in the timing required to keep the production line open.”

The final assembly plant will close after Boeing completes building the final 22 aircraft.

"What's more, here in the United States the sequestration situation has created significant planning difficulties for our customers and the entire aerospace industry. Such uncertainty forces difficult decisions like this C-17 line closure,'' Muilenburg added.

The C-17 has logged over 2.6 million flying hours in troop and cargo airlifts, humanitarian air drops and aero-medical missions since its first flight in 1991.