U.S. manufacturing base shifts into high gear

Both military and civilian contractors are ramping up to meet demands of both war and commerce.

In launching the 747-8 and 777 freighter programs, Boeing expects to tap into a market that it predicts will double in size over the next two decades.

In its Current Market Outlook released in July, Boeing predicts that the world freighter fleet will climb from 1789 to 3563 airplanes. This projection anticipates the expected retirement of 1209 airplanes, resulting in a total of 2983 airplanes added to the freighter fleet by 2025.