Boeing Indefinitely Shuts KC-46, P-8 production Facility

Boeing has indefinitely suspended production at its facility in Puget Sound and Moses Lake sites which manufactures KC-46 tankers and P-8 maritime surveillance among other planes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The production facility has been shut since March 23 after some employees were found infected with the Coronavirus. However, a Boeing press release yesterday announced that production would be suspended “till further notice.”

“Boeing is extending the temporary suspension of production operations at all Puget Sound area and Moses Lake sites until further notice. These actions are being taken in light of the company's continuing focus on the health and safety of employees, current assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in Washington state, the reliability of the supply chain and additional recommendations from government health authorities,” the company said in a statement on Sunday.

Suspension of activities at Boeing facilities was initially announced on March 25. “P-8, KC-46 and other Boeing defense production in the Puget Sound area is mostly low-volume, like around 1-2 per month. So they should be able to recover over the course of the year, assuming the factory deep clean is successful and the pandemic threat turns a corner,” the company spokesperson had said back then.