A Boeing 737 MAX-10 lands on the Spirit AeroSystems logo during a flight display at the 54th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 22, 2023.
Benoit Tessier | Reuters
Aerospace supplier AeroSystems Spirit It said Thursday it will lay off some of its workers due to slower delivery rates on commercial aircraft as it grapples with a slowdown at its largest commercial aircraft customer. boeing.
Spirit AeroSystems told staff in a memo, previously reported by Wichita-based KSN, that it would cut between 400 and 450 hourly employees.
“We are committed to implementing this transition in the most compassionate manner possible,” Spirit AeroSystems said in a statement.
About 12,600 people worked at the Wichita facility as of the end of 2023, according to the company's annual presentation.
Spirit AeroSystems makes fuselages at the plant for Boeing's best-selling plane, the 737 Max, whose deliveries have slowed in the wake of a door panel explosion and the resulting safety crisis at Boeing.
Last week, Spirit AeroSystems said Boeing's first-quarter deliveries were down 31% from the same period in 2023, and it said overall deliveries were down 11.3%.
It reported a quarterly loss of $616.7 million for the first three months of the year. The company has struggled financially in recent years and was last profitable in 2019.
The company is also in talks to be acquired by boeingfrom which it was spun off in 2005. About 70% of Spirit AeroSystems' revenue last year came from Boeing, although the company also makes parts for Boeing's rival. Airbus.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told CNBC in an interview in April 2024 that the companies are “more than likely” to reach a deal during the second quarter.
