Boeing halts production at Puget Sound
Boeing announced on 23 March that it is temporarily suspending commercial aircraft production at its Puget Sound facilities over the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
The shutdown will commence from 25 March and will last for at least 14 days.
Dave Calhoun, CEO and President of Boeing, said: ‘This necessary step protects our employees and the communities where they work and live… We continue to work closely with public health officials and we’re in contact with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders who are affected by this temporary suspension.’
While the temporary closure does not affect Boeing Defense, Space & Security, it does raise the possibility that defence equipment production may also be suspended in the coming weeks.
Boeing has faced difficulties since the grounding of its 737 MAX aircraft and the increased scrutiny of its production methods and timescales. This suspension is likely to place the company under increased pressure.
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