Boeing Cuts 5% Of Commercial Airplanes Workforce As Production Ramp-Up Slows

Published Nov 9, 2026, 6:25 PM EST Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. American plane manufacturer Boeing has announced that it will reduce its workforce by around 5%. Affecting those working in the division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), the decision comes as the US plane maker confirmed that it plans to slow down its factory production rate increases as a result of factory and supply chain challenges. This 5% reduction across the commercial division is forecasted to affect around 2,500 workers, and the headcount reduction will be achieved through involuntary layoffs and natural attrition. Boeing Lays Out Plans To Cut 5% Of Workforce Due To Supply Chain And Factory Stability. Credit: Marco Menezes | Shutterstock Boeing, one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, will shave around 5% of its workforce beginning in December. The 2,500 positions will see formal layoff notifications starting next month. Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stephanie Pope, shared a memo to employees, as shared by CNBC: "Adjusting our production schedules and reducing aircraft output puts us in an overstaffed position. Unfortunately, that means we need to align our staffing levels to our revised business plans." The decision continues to stem from challenges in the assembly lines and component delivery flows. This has meant that the plane maker must recalibrate to its current supply chain abilities instead of aggressive output targets. This will affect the Boeing 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner assembly lines. Simple Flying reached out to Boeing for comment on the layoffs on Monday; however, a company spokesperson could not immediately be reached. 737 MAX And 787 Assembly Lines Affected Credit: achinthamb | Shutterstock As Boeing looks to stabilize its assembly line and component delivery flows, the Boeing 737 MAX line has had its target timeline of 47 planes per month pushed out until mid to late 2027. This will see fewer planes being delivered but easing the delivery projection bottlenecks that were expected to be seen for wing assembly operations in Renton. Output increases on the widebody 787 Dreamliner have also been reduced to allow a slower timeline for suppliers to achieve the factory's stability. Despite these changes, Boeing continues to hold a backlog of more than 6,300 airplanes, which is valued in excess of $610 billion. The ongoing operating losses and supply chain friction continue to weigh on Boeing and its BCA division's short-term recovery. Adjusting the production schedule has ultimately put the plane maker in an overstaffed position, which has led to the decision to lay off 2,500 workers. Boeing CEO Told Investors The MAX Production Won't Increase Until 2027 Credit: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock Kelly Ortberg, Boeing CEO, spoke to investors last month and outlined that the company will not increase production on the MAX until the second half of 2027, with wing production having been slower than expected. This sees the lifting of the 737 MAX production timeline from 47 to 52 jets per month, pushed out until the second half of 2027. Ortberg noted in October that while Boeing continues to make progress, there is still 'a lot more work to do', and this is expected to take until the middle of next year. For investors, the overall MAX output has been seen as central to revenue and profit growth after a long period of ongoing financial losses and safety problems (including the deadly MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019). The 737 and 787 outputs will remain at 47 and eight jets per month, with ongoing disruption hampering the 767 and 777 programs as well. Targets as detailed below: Type Current Target Future Target Boeing 737 MAX 47 52 Boeing 787 Dreamliner Eight Ten Boeing 777X - Five Boeing 767 Low-rate, steady production of a couple per month tied with commercial freighter and KC-46 tanker demand As noted on the Boeing website, the Boeing Commercial Airplanes division employs a total of 50,494 workers, with the 5% employee cuts resulting in approximately 2,500 jobs. No layoffs are expected in November, with the beginning of job cuts expected in December.