(PatriotPostNews.com) – A Boeing supply contractor has announced it will let go of hundreds of employees thanks to a lack of manufacturing work to construct airplanes.
Spirit AeroSystems, which has made its way into national headlines for its connection to ongoing whistleblowing and scrutiny against Boeing and its production methods, said in a memo on Thursday May 16 that it would be laying off “approximately 400-450 employees.” The company, based in Wichita, Kansas, described the move as a “difficult decision.”
According to business records, roughly 12,600 people were employed at the Wichita location last year. The massive layoffs have been pinned to slow delivery rates for the Boeing 737 Max planes, as shared by the Wichita and Tulsa operations senior vice president, Terry George.
Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems, has said that the contractor will notify workers of their layoffs in the weeks ahead. He added that the company is “committed” to instituting the change with “as compassionate a manner” as they are able.
The delivery rate of the 737 aircraft reduced significantly at the beginning of the year, following a frightening incident on an Alaskan Airlines flight in which a door panel fell off during takeoff. Boeing subsequently launched more intense safety inspections on its aircraft. Since then, the 737 Max design has been the center of several safety issues, stirring up scrutiny against Boeing.
At its Wichita plant, Spirit AeroSystems designs fuselages for the 737 Max planes produced by Boeing. 28 items were labeled as requiring attention during the contract supplier’s quality control evaluation conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Spirit AeroSystems has reportedly joined Boeing for fuselage inspections before the shipping process begins, which has contributed to the delivery delays.
The layoffs come amid ongoing profit losses for Spirit AeroSystems, which lost $616.7 million during the first quarter of 2024, according to business records. A drop of 31% from the same time in 2023 was reported from Boeing’s deliveries while overall deliveries for the contractor had fallen by 11%.
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