Spirit AeroSystems lays off 450 more employees in Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Spirit AeroSystems announced Friday plans to lay off 1,100 employees who work on commercial programs to “support alignment of workforce levels with the customer demand for aircraft,” The measure includes 450 more employees in Wichita.

Spirit said the move is directly tied to the 737 MAX production rate reduction, the third this year, and the ongoing pandemic “which continue to impact the demand for new commercial aircraft and the airline industry as a whole.”

The manufacturer said production was lowered 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, Spirit AeroSystems. “We are taking this action to better calibrate our employment level to the reduced demand we see from our customers. This action, along with previous actions, is intended to reduce costs, increase liquidity and position Spirit to remain financially healthy while we move through a period of recovery in the commercial aviation market.”

“Although this extraordinary time has required us to make difficult decisions, we remain focused on fulfilling requirements to our customers, including the important work we provide for defense and space programs,” Gentile said. “I continue to remain confident in the future of the aviation industry, and in our ability to navigate through these challenges to emerge a stronger company.”