Adding to its facility closures, Boeing announced that on April 8 it will temporarily suspend all 787 operations at Boeing South Carolina (BSC) until further notice. This impacts the Airport Campus, Emergent Operations, Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina and Propulsion South Carolina.
Boeing will continue a temporary suspension of production at all of its Puget Sound area and Moses Lake facilities for an indefinite period, the company announced on April 5.
Boeing said that the ongoing production shutdown is necessary to deal with the health and safety of its workforce as it assesses the impact of the COVID-19 virus in Washington state, one of the most hard-hit areas of the country.
Last week, the company temporarily suspended production operations at its facilities in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, through at least April 20. The site includes manufacturing and production facilities for military rotorcraft, including the H-47 Chinook, V-22 Osprey, and MH-139A Grey Wolf.
Boeing also is considering the reliability of its supply chain given that other aerospace manufacturers are dealing with the same issues and risks to worker health and safety as Boeing.
As part of its current risk reduction plan, Boeing plans to implement new safety measures at its facilities, including new visual cues to encourage physical distancing and more frequent and deeper cleaning of workspaces and common areas. It will also stagger worker shifts to avoid crowds of workers entering and exiting facilities at the same time.
Boeing says it will continue to monitor guidance from governments and that it will assess the status of its facilities on a daily basis.
In the weeks and months ahead, accurate and reliable market forecasts will be more critical than ever to achieving success. At this moment of global uncertainty, Forecast International is committed to producing the market intelligence you need to navigate the challenging road forward. For over 45 years, we have been setting the standard for defense and aerospace research and analysis. We can assure you that we will remain resolute in delivering actionable intelligence that reduces uncertainties and makes the future as predictable as it can be.
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Douglas Royce is currently co-editor of four of Forecast International's Market Intelligence Services: Civil Aircraft Forecast, Military Aircraft Forecast, Rotorcraft Forecast, and Aviation Gas Turbine Forecast. As such, he plays a key role in many important projects that involve market sizing and forecasting for various segments of the world aerospace industry, as well as demand for related systems.
