Boeing has announced that it is closing its facility in Wichita, KS in 2013 due to waning projects for that facility.  Work will be transferred to its San Antonio and SEATAC area facilities primarily.  The closure means a loss of more than 2000 jobs and it will hurt many in the Wichita area.

It’s become clear that Boeing realizes that it needs to locate its work in areas that can provide a cost structure that makes them competitive in the world.  Sadly, that means some facilities with militant unions and/or old infrastructure are going to lose to newer sites in “right to work states”. 

What it doesn’t mean is that Boeing believes it can do without the aerospace knowledge it has in Washington State.  Boeing wisely recognizes that it must rely heavily upon workers there for its continued existence.  At least for the next 1 to 2 decades.  That said, I also think that we’ll see Boeing diversify its operations more and more across the United States as well as into other countries.  Local and regional impacts to its production can’t be tolerated nearly as much in the future if Boeing is to remain a viable choice for airlines.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax