ONGOING CRISIS

Boeing Slashes At Least 12,000 U.S. Jobs, Warns of More Cuts

The embattled plane manufacturer said 6,770 workers would be involuntarily laid off this week.

Boeing, embattled by its ongoing 737 Max airplane crisis, will slash more than 12,000 U.S jobs, including involuntary lay offs for 6,770 U.S. employees this week. CEO Dave Calhoun told employees in an email that the “pandemic’s devastating impact on the airline industry means a deep cut in the number of commercial jets and services our customers will need over the next few years, which in turn means fewer jobs on our lines and in our offices.” He adding: “I wish there were some other way.” The company also revealed future plans to lay off “several thousand” workers.

Boeing said in April that it would eliminate 10 percent of its 160,000-person workforce by the end of the year as the coronavirus pandemic caused air travel in the U.S. to drop 96 percent last month. Boeing has been in the midst of a crisis since two crashes involving its 737 Max, prompting regulators to ground the fastest-selling airplane last year. The company has been the subject of a federal investigation for safety problems and the Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly weighing a multimillion-dollar fine for Boeing.