How aircraft are still built largely by hand

SACHEON, South Gyeongsang Province — Inside Plant 1 at South Korean aerospace manufacturer Kencoa Aerospace, large metal jigs hold aircraft parts in place before they are drilled, riveted and assembled into structures destined for global aerospace supply chains.

The factory floor is filled not with finished aircraft but with the painstaking work that comes long before one takes flight.

During a media tour on Tuesday, Kencoa showcased structures related to Embraer's C-390 military transport aircr ...