Boeing announced on Thursday that they will restart Puget Sound production next week in a phased approach with comprehensive procedures to keep team members safe and fight the spread of COVID-19. Operations were suspended in March due to the pandemic.
Today, Boeing announced that they will resume commercial airplane production in the Puget Sound region next week utilizing a phased approach with extra precautions to keep their people safe while fighting the spread of COVID-19. Around 27,000 Boeing Commercial Airplanes team members in the Puget Sound area will return to production on the company’s 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner programs. Members of the 737 team will also resume work towards restarting the beleaguered 737 MAX program as hope remains that regulators will re-certify the aircraft this year. Production at Boeing’s South Carolina plant will remain suspended until further notice. In Thursday’s announcement, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ CEO and Senior Executive in the Pacific Northwest, Stan Deal said,
“The health and safety of our employees, their families and communities is our shared priority. This phased approach ensures we have a reliable supply base, our personal protective equipment is readily available, and we have all of the necessary safety measures in place to resume essential work for our customers.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes team members for the 737, 747, 767 and 777 will return as early as the third shift on April 20, 2020, while 787 program employees will return as early as the third shift on April 23, 2020. Most Puget Sound region Commercial Airplanes employees will return to work by April 24, 2020. Boeing has instituted enhanced cleaning and practices to reinforce employee health and social distancing in partnership with their work groups and federal and state guidance. The extensive measures Boeing is taking to ensure the health and well-being of their team members as they restart Puget Sound production are highlighted in the graphic below.
Source: Boeing