A method is used for controlling a paced production line for processing airplane structural components, wherein the production line comprises at least one workstation having at least one processing machine. It is provided that the processing sequence in the workstation is determined for a production step by determining the expected or actual occupation of the working area by structural component(s) or structural component section(s) for the production step, and, on the basis of the occupation, all of the operations to be performed in this workstation in this production step are determined, and the processing sequence of these operations is optimized.