On Friday, October 11th, Boeing’s CEO and President, Kelly Ortberg announced that 10% of its employees would be laid off. This comes as no surprise for those following news surrounding the aircraft manufacturer. The company has been on a downward spiral in the past few years due to concerns over the quality of its aircrafts, specifically the 737. As well as the recent strike of about 33,000 Boeing employees, major issues include pay increases and reinstating a pension plan. North Charleston, South Carolina is home to a Boeing assembly facility, so the state could directly feel the hit of the mass layoffs. To hear a student’s perspective on Boeing’s downhill trajectory, we spoke to Hillcrest sophomore Krish Patel.
When asked why has Boeing gone from being at the top of the industry to struggling to stay afloat, he replied, “ Its aircraft and its lack of electrical parts, missing and improperly installed wiring, and employees being placed under extreme pressure to rework defective parts. Beginning in the 2000s, 70% of the designing, engineering, and manufacturing of the 737 was externalized to more than 50 strategic partners.” Patel brings forth an important point that the overall quality of the planes being produced has gone down, making for products that don’t meet the standards of travelers.
We also asked who he thinks will take Boeing’s spot as a top producer in the industry, he responded, “As of now, Airbus is becoming the top producer of the aerospace industry because it makes low-fuel-efficient, mid-sized aircrafts, and it’s cheaper for other airlines to fly,”. Benefits like fuel efficiency and cost make it easy to see why some may believe that Airbus will overthrow Boeing or think that it already has.
Boeing’s layoffs could be the final nail in the coffin for a company that has been hanging by a thread for years now.
