Boeing said Thursday it will end its local factory shutdown next week and resume all commercial airplane production at its Puget Sound and Moses Lake facilities.
About 27,000 local employees will be back on the job. Among the measures to protect them from the novel coronavirus is the requirement to wear masks at work.
CEO David Calhoun simultaneously cautioned employees that the brutal impact of the global coronavirus pandemic on the aviation world, and the likelihood of a protracted period before air traffic recovers to previous levels, “will change our business for years to come.”
Significantly, Boeing said employees will be returning to the Renton assembly lines of the 737 MAX, which had been shut down since January. They’ll be working toward a near-term resumption of MAX production, an indication that Boeing still anticipates clearance from the FAA for the 737 MAX to fly again this summer.