Boeing to dismiss 17,000 workers, delay 777X program amid strike

The leading US manufacturer of commercial and military jets has announced its plan to cut 17,000 jobs and postpone the delivery of its 777X program amid an ongoing strike by 33,000 of the aviation company’s West Coast workers.

The month-long strike by Boeing workers, which halted the production of its 737 MAX, 767 and 777 jets, alongside waning quality, has resulted in a third quarter-record $5 billion loss for the company.

In January, a Boeing cabin panel blowout during a flight of a brand new Max jet sparked a fresh crisis surrounding the safety and quality of the US-made jetliners.

The company’s new president and CEO said in a message to the firm’s employees that the blue-chip company was in “a difficult position” that called for “tough actions”, in particular, a significant downsizing was necessary “to align with our financial reality.”

“We reset our workforce levels to align with our financial reality and to a more focused set of priorities. Over the coming months, we are planning to reduce the size of our total workforce by roughly 10 percent. These reductions will include executives, managers and employees,” Kelly Ortberg said in the message.

Boeing also announced that its first 777x jetliners, which were promoted for sale as the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine commercial planes, will be delivered in 2026.

The Arlington-based firm CEO also warned investors and company shareholders to brace themselves for “substantial” new losses.

The new leader told the owners of the company to prepare for a long battle with the workers.

The new chief executive declared that “tough decisions” and “structural changes” were required. “We need to be clear-eyed about the work we face.”

Boeing workers went on strike following a standoff between their representatives and management over pay.

The acrimonious dispute about wages halted their negotiations, plunging the talks into a stalemate and prompting workers to take industrial action.

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