BOEING AND ITS striking workers resumed stalled talks on 6 December, as the impact of the two-month-old stoppage mounted on customers and suppliers. Major Boeing subcontractor Northrop Grumman has announced that it will extend its scheduled holiday plant shutdowns by four to nine days, idling more than 6,000 employees, "...to avoid an excessive buildup in inventory".
Boeing Commercial Airplane Group president Ron Woodard says that the company will deliver 205-210 aircraft in 1995, instead of the planned 230. He says that deliveries have been halved by the strike and admits that stocks are running out of near-complete aircraft, which can be finished by management and delivered.
Several airlines have been hit. Southwest will cut 16 services from 27 February because the airline did not receive two scheduled 737s in November. Deliveries of three 737s in each of the first three months of 1996 are in the balance. Northwest will receive only two of five planned 757s by year-end and is adjusting schedules.
Japan Airlines is adjusting pilot-training schedules to accommodate 777 delivery delays.
Source: Flight International
