WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems announced Friday that it is laying off 450 more workers, blaming the latest production-rate cut for Boeing’s 737 Max jets and the coronavirus pandemic’s negative effect on the airline industry.
Spirit said in a news release that the 737 MAX production rate reduction is the third this year, lowering Spirit’s production from 125 units to 72 units for 2020, a reduction of more than 80 percent from its 2019 production rates.
“Our production rates for commercial aircraft have fallen from historic highs to significantly lower volumes in a matter of months,” said Tom Gentile, President and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems. “We are taking this action to better calibrate our employment level to the reduced demand we see from our customers.”