The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) has reached an agreement with five key Japanese partners for work on the new 777X airplane. 

Japan Aircraft Industries (JAI) and Japan Aircraft Development Corporation (JADC) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to provide approximately 21% of the major airplane structure components for the 777X, including fuselage sections; center wing sections; pressure bulkheads; main landing gear wells; passenger, cargo and main landing gear doors; wing components and wing-body fairings. 

JAI is a consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Fuji Heavy Industries , ShinMaywa Industries and NIPPI Corporation. JADC is a non-profit foundation established to enhance the competitiveness of the Japanese aircraft industry. 

“The companies that make up the JAI are consistently high performers, deliver superior quality and have worked with us to meet affordability goals for the 777X,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Ray Conner. “They model the kind of partnership we need from our global suppliers to best serve our customers and meet the changing demands in the marketplace.” 

Boeing (NYSE:BA) shares are edging higher pre-market at $134.24, in the upper band of the 52-week range of $96.31 – $144.57.