Spirit Aerospace manufactures fuselage for 737 MAX. Credit: Gusti Fikri Izzudin Noor.

Aerostructures designer and manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems has decided to place some of its Boeing 737 MAX programme staff on a 21-day unpaid temporary layoff/furlough.

The decision will affect certain hourly employees at its facility in Wichita, Kansas, who are directly related to 737 production work and support functions.

Spirit employs roughly 900 workers at the facility. The plan will be effective from 15 June.

The announcement comes after Boeing updated Spirit on a reduction to the 2020 737 MAX production plan of 125 shipsets on 9 June.

On 4 June, Spirit was directed to halt additional work on four 737 MAX shipsets, as well as avoid starting production on 16 737 MAX shipsets, which are expected to be delivered this year.

The fuselage manufacturer is planning for immediate reduction of the hourly workforce in Tulsa and McAlester facilities in Oklahoma, starting 12 June.

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In January, Spirit AeroSystems entered an agreement with Boeing to gradually resume the production of 737 MAX aircraft after announcing to stop all 737 MAX deliveries starting 1 January 2020 the previous month.

Earlier last month, the company revealed its cash flow outlook for the year had worsened after its key customers, including Boeing and Airbus, reduced production due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company also decided to lay off employees as the crisis decreased commercial aircraft demand.

Last month, Boeing restarted 737 MAX productions at its Renton facility in Washington, US.

Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has been grounded since March 2019 following the second of two fatal crashes.