Boeing has reportedly sold its luxury corporate yacht for $13 million, writes Charbel Kadib.
According to several media reports, Daedalus, Boeing’s 130-foot corporate yacht, has been sold for $13 million without a standard pre-purchase boat survey.
The yacht, built in 1997 by luxury boat builder Delta Marine, was reportedly bought by a California developer, who has also purchased an 80-foot sportfisher yacht to accompany the Daedalus to fishing grounds.
Boeing’s Daedalus has been used for hosting corporate customers, and has operated as a small floating hotel on Vancouver Island. Delta Marine is set to reconfigure Daedalus, before sending the yacht to San Diego.
The reports come days after the business announced a fourth straight quarterly loss, as well as 11,000 additional job cuts, as the company continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing 737 MAX crisis.
The planemaker has said it lost US$466 million in the third quarter, marking its fourth straight quarterly loss.
The pandemic has seen demand for international travel take a nose-dive, and eliminated the need for new planes as near-whole fleets sit on the ground.
As a result, Boeing’s bottom line has taken a massive hit. The company has been forced to significantly reduce its rates of production, as its backlog of undelivered aircraft continues to grow.
Making matters worse for Boeing, recertification efforts continue on its embattled 737 MAX, which has been grounded around the world following two fatal crashes.
The US planemaker has not yet announced plans to further reduce its production rate, however has said it is prepared to cut production rates of its 787 Dreamliner if demand remains subdued, with 50 jets still undelivered.
Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun has told employees the company now expects to shed around 30,000 positions in total, 11,000 more than previously announced, to bring the total workforce down to about 130,000.
