Airbus has announced production will pause at its US manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama.
At the same time, Boeing has shuttered its 787 production line in North Charleston, South Carolina. The news comes just days after the latter announced plans to close its Puget Sound hub, which is where the bulk of Boeing’s production works are concentrated.
Together, the two closures will bring aircraft production in the US to an almost complete standstill. All major commercial production facilities operated by the two companies are now closed.
According to NPR, roughly 1,100 employees will be stood down temporarily from Airbus’ Alabama site – though the company has committed to making no layoffs at this stage.
In a press release posted 6 April, the company said that the decision was made to close the plant indefinitely in line with “several factors related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including high inventory levels in the sites”.
The statement also cited “various government recommendations and requirements which impact at different stages of the overall industrial production flow”.
In the same announcement, Airbus has also announced the closure of its plant in Bremen, northern Germany. The Bremen site is responsible for the design, manufacture, integration and testing of high-lift systems for the wings of all Airbus programs.
On Boeing’s part, the closure of its South Carolina campus is expected to affect approximately 7,000 employees. In a press release, Boeing stated that the pause will be a temporary closure, lasting at least until 29 April.
Boeing South Carolina is home to the company’s second 787 Dreamliner final assembly and delivery facility (the first being the already-closed Puget Sound plant).
Back in January, Boeing had already announced that it planned to reduce production of the Dreamliner from 12 per month down to 10. With demand for wide-body aircraft plummeting around the world as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak and Dreamliner production halted for the time being, it is unclear what the future holds for the 787 model.
