Boeing delivered the 223rd and last US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airlifter today, fulfilling the production contract more than 20 years after the first delivery. The aircraft left Boeing’s Long Beach facility to fly to its assignment at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, where a ceremony will mark its arrival.

The US Air Force was the C-17’s launch customer. Since the aircraft’s first flight September 15, 1991, it has been the world’s only strategic airlifter with tactical capabilities that allow it to fly between continents, land on short, austere runways, and airdrop supplies precisely where they are needed.

Boeing continues to produce C-17s for other customers around the world, and maintain and sustain the aircraft through the C-17 Globemaster Integrated Sustainment Programme.

C-17s have been involved in contingency operations of all types, including flying troops and equipment to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The airlifter also has been used in humanitarian missions around the world, including the Japanese and the Indian Ocean tsunamis of 2011 and 2004, respectively; Hurricane Katrina in 2005; and the Haitian earthquake of 2010.

“C-17s are the workhorse for the US Air Force in wartime and in peace,” said Chris Chadwick, Boeing Military Aircraft President. “So while this is the last new C-17 to be added to the Air Force fleet, the mission does not stop here. The C-17 delivers hope and saves lives, and with the Air Force in the pilot’s seat, it will continue to do so well into the future.”

The C-17 holds 33 world records – more than any other airlifter in history – including payload to altitude, time to climb and short take-off and landing marks. It has exceeded 2.6 million flight hours, playing an integral role in global strategic airlift.