What goes on inside the Boeing factory — the biggest building in the world

ANYONE who visits must surrender their phone and staff are not even allowed access to Wi-Fi. Take a look inside Boeing’s most secretive building.

BOEING’S Seattle factory is so big it could easily swallow up Disneyland or accommodate more than 900 basketball courts — 911 to be exact.

At a kilometre long and 500m wide, the building is the largest in the world by volume.

The 28,000 plus employees are encouraged to make use of the 450 tricycles to get around, and stop off at six diners and coffee shops to fuel their journey.

On any given day, 20,000 meals are served at the “Dreamliner Diner”, “Twin Aisle Cafe” and “Queen of the Skies” eatery, along with Tully’s coffee shops.

Divided into various sections dedicated to different aircraft types, the factory operates 24/7 and uses no central heating or airconditioning.

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Construction well underway on a 787 Dreamliner at the Boeing factory in Seattle. Picture: Robyn Ironside

Instead, Boeing relies on the one million light fittings to provide heat in Seattle’s chilly winter, and simply opens the giant sized doors in summer to let in more air.

Here magic is created, in the form of mammoth machines that carry hundreds of passengers each time they takeoff.

Parts are sourced from all over the world including Australia, Italy, Korea and Japan and put together with painstaking precision.

Those made of composite are coated with a white gel for the construction process and aluminium planes, like the 747 have a green protective coating before the livery is applied.

Inside the Boeing factory in Seattle where Qantas's new 787-9s will be built. Picture: Robyn Ironside

There is some automation — in the form of driverless vehicles that deliver tool kits to the engineers and mechanics — but mostly the factory relies on hands on expertise to complete the high tech machines to Boeing’s specifications and those of the airline customer.

Every few days a shiny new aircraft is completed and shunted out for testing by Boeing’s own pilots before being handed over to their new owners.

Australian airlines have made many visits to the factory and in October, Qantas will return to take delivery of its first 787-9 Dreamliner.

The 236-seat aircraft will be among the 84 787-9s completed at the factory this year.

The same number of 777s and about six new 747s are also built in a 12-month period, and work is about to begin on the newest Boeing model — a 777X.

Although staff are not allowed access to Wi-Fi and there are strict controls on mobile phones, the factory operates public tours — which bring in 300,000 people a year.

Restricted to the upper deck of the cavernous space, public visitors must also surrender their phones — such is the concern about the theft of Boeing’s secrets.

World’s biggest collection of brand new aircraft — fresh from the Boeing factory and awaiting testing before delivery. Picture: Supplied

Nevertheless, factory tours are the most popular tourist activity in Washington State, with visitors eager to explore the home of one of the world’s best known brands.

The 90-minute tours cost $33 for adults and $20 for youths aged 15 and under.

As well as the factory, the price includes the Future of Flight Aviation Center overlooking the mega warehouse and the aircraft testing area where the largest collection of brand new planes can be seen.

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