Quick answer: Boeing plans to end commercial 767-300F freighter production at its Everett, WA factory in 2027 after finishing the remaining FedEx and UPS orders. The 767 final assembly line in Everett stays open, but only for the KC-46A Pegasus tanker built for the U.S. Air Force and allied customers. Total deliveries across the 767 program are approaching 1,300 aircraft since 1981.
For 45 years, the Boeing 767 has been one of Everett’s signature products. Built alongside the 747 and the 787 during the original Everett widebody era, it outlasted both of them on the Paine Field floor. In 2027, one of its two remaining identities — the commercial freighter — is scheduled to roll off the line for the last time.
This is the complete 2026 guide to what’s happening, what changes, and why the end of commercial 767 production matters specifically for Everett.
What Boeing Has Actually Announced
In October 2024, Boeing announced it would end production of the commercial 767-300F freighter in 2027 once it completed its remaining orders. At the time, the backlog stood around 29 aircraft, split between UPS and FedEx Express. By early 2026, that backlog had narrowed further as Everett continued rolling out roughly one to two freighters a month.
The announcement did not end the 767 line. The 767-2C — the green airframe that becomes the KC-46A Pegasus tanker — is built on the same final assembly line. Congress exempted the KC-46 from the 2028 commercial production cutoffs written into federal clean-air rules, which means Everett continues to build 767-based military tankers well past 2027.
The practical effect is a mix shift, not a factory shutdown. Commercial 767s leave, and military 767s keep flowing.
The KC-46 Backbone of the Post-2027 Line
Boeing delivered 14 KC-46A tankers in 2025 and publicly targeted 19 deliveries in 2026. The 105th KC-46 — delivered April 3, 2026 to McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas — pushed the total past the halfway point of the planned 179-aircraft U.S. Air Force fleet. Boeing also holds firm orders for additional tankers for the U.S. Air Force, Israel, and Japan.
The KC-46 supply chain involves more than 650 American businesses and roughly 37,000 workers across more than 40 states, according to Boeing. A disproportionate share of that supply chain sits in Snohomish County.
What the 767 Has Meant to Everett
The 767 first flew in 1981. Since then, the Everett line has produced roughly 1,300 airframes in passenger, freighter, and tanker variants. For decades it was the workhorse alongside the 747 — less glamorous, more profitable, and always visible in the distinctive purple FedEx and brown UPS tails on the flightline.
For the city, the 767 has been quieter than the 747 but longer-running. When the 787 moved to South Carolina and the 747 ended in 2022, the 767 and its KC-46 derivative kept Everett producing widebody jets.
Why the Commercial-to-Military Shift Matters for the Workforce
Three questions shape what happens to the Everett workforce after 2027:
Volume. A line producing 19 KC-46 tankers a year runs at a different cadence than one also pushing commercial freighters alongside. Touch-labor hours per month can compress even when headcount looks similar on paper.
Supplier revenue mix. Commercial freighters and military tankers share most of the core airframe, but not all of it. Commercial-freighter-specific components — cargo handling systems, commercial avionics packages, freight-door hardware — stop being ordered after the last 767-300F ships.
What comes next. Boeing’s 737 MAX North Line, scheduled to activate midsummer 2026, is the most visible new Everett program. But it’s a standing-up line, not a drop-in replacement for the commercial 767’s production cadence.
The FedEx and UPS Customer Angle
The last commercial 767-300Fs are going to two customers: UPS and FedEx Express. Both rely on the 767 as the core of their medium-widebody domestic freighter fleets. After Everett stops building new ones, both carriers will depend on passenger-to-freighter conversions and aging existing fleets to maintain capacity.
That’s a structural shift in the air cargo business that’s playing out well beyond Everett. But it started here.
Everett Context Right Now
The 767 sundown is landing during an unusually active stretch for Everett’s Boeing operations. The 737 MAX North Line is activating this summer. The 777X is in late-stage testing. The KC-46 program keeps delivering. The commercial 767 program is winding down. All on the same Paine Field campus.
For the city economically, the key number to watch isn’t the last 767 rollout date — it’s the ratio of commercial-to-military work coming out of Everett three years from now.
Related Exploring Everett coverage
- Buying or Renting in Everett as a Boeing 737 North Line Worker
- Boeing’s 777X Production First Flight at Paine Field
- Boeing’s North Line in Everett: The Complete Worker’s Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Boeing stop building the commercial 767 in Everett?
Boeing plans to complete its remaining commercial 767-300F freighter orders and end commercial production in 2027. The Everett final assembly line stays open for the KC-46 tanker.
Will the Everett 767 factory close?
No. The 767 final assembly line continues building the 767-2C airframe that becomes the KC-46A Pegasus tanker. The commercial version of the program ends; the military version continues.
How many 767s are left to deliver?
As of October 2024, Boeing had roughly 29 unfilled commercial 767-300F orders, split between UPS (17) and FedEx Express (12). Everett has continued rolling out aircraft into 2026, bringing the remaining backlog down.
How many 767s has Boeing built in Everett total?
The program has produced roughly 1,300 airframes across passenger, freighter, and KC-46 tanker variants since first flight in 1981.
How many KC-46 tankers will Boeing build?
The U.S. Air Force program of record is 179 aircraft. As of April 2026, Boeing had delivered more than 105 of them. Additional orders exist for Israel, Japan, and additional U.S. Air Force jets.
Does the 767 sundown affect the 737 North Line?
They are separate programs on different floors. The 737 MAX North Line is targeted for midsummer 2026 activation and is unrelated to the commercial 767 wind-down.
What happens to aerospace suppliers that depend on the commercial 767?
Suppliers that make commercial-freighter-specific components — cargo handling, commercial avionics, freight-door hardware — will see those orders end in 2027. Suppliers that also feed the KC-46 program retain that revenue stream.
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