Vought today announced significantly scaling back operations at several of its assembly facilities due to the ongoing IAM strikes at Boeing and one of its Nashville facilities.
"In response to the Boeing IAM strike, we have modified our operations and reached an agreement with Boeing to minimize impacts on our operating results, working capital and liquidity," said Steve Davis, vice president and general manager, Vought Commercial Aerostructures Division. "In addition, we have put in place our contingency plan in response to the Nashville strike."
Vought Aircraft Industries is responsible for the fabrication of aft fuselage sections 47 and 48 of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in North Charleston, SC.
Vought says it suspended 787 composite bond fabrication operations, affecting production and support personnel. Assembly staff has been reassigned to work on existing shipsets closest to completion.
In addition, over the next 30 days, Vought will be reviewing a number of additional contingencies, including possible temporary shut down of the entire North Charleston facility.
"This is a challenging time for all of us who support the Dreamliner program," said Joy Romero, vice president and general manager, 787 Program. "Since the beginning of the Boeing strike, we've been looking at ways to mitigate potential employee job loss in North Charleston, including the initial reduction of outside contract labor. We plan to work with our employees to identify temporary redeployment opportunities at other Vought locations, where possible."
According to Charleston-based sources, the aft fuselage sections of Dreamliners Five, Six, Seven and Eight are all undergoing final systems integration. Work on Dreamliners Ten through Nineteen is on hold as Vought focuses on completing these barrels.
According to the same source, completion on Dreamliner Five currently stands above 90%, the highest level of completion of any aft fuselage section to date. The ongoing IAM strike has allowed Vought to focus on further reducing the level of incomplete work travelling to final assembly in Everett, WA.
Final systems integration takes place in what is known as 'Cell 215' at the North Charleston, SC facility, which accommodates up to four fuselage barrels at a time. Vought has fabricated 19 production barrels to date and has delivered four, plus an additional two for the static and fatigue test airframes.
Dreamliner Nine will enter Cell 215 when Dreamliner Five completes final systems integration, and currently occupies Cell 210 where Section 47 and 48 barrels are joined.
Vought's Nashville facility that handles A330/A340 wing components, the Gulfstream G450 wing, C-130 empennage and wing panels for the Cessna Citation X has also been impacted by an IAM strike of its own.
The employees voted to strike on September 27 and the facility has remained open by hiring additional experienced contract labor and shifting personnel from other sites to Nashville.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
