Boeing layoffs in Alabama reportedly set for late June - UPI.com

1 of 2 | Boeing could begin laying off more than 100 employees at its facility in Birmingham, Ala., state officials warned Friday. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

May 3 (UPI) -- Boeing could begin laying off more than 100 employees at its facility in Birmingham, Ala., state officials warned Friday.

Potential layoffs of 128 employees could begin June 28, the Birmingham Business Journal reported, citing a report issued by the Alabama Department of Commerce.

The department's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification list details plant closures, layoffs and other labor impacts in the state.

Speculation about the layoffs was first reported by the publication Tuesday.

"We have notified some team members in Huntsville of a potential layoff, as programs are affected by decisions external to Boeing. We will continue to be transparent with team members and explore alternative placement opportunities within Boeing for impacted employees," a Boeing spokesperson for the aviation giant told The Journal in a statement.

The aviation giant has approximately 3,000 employees in Alabama, many at the facility in Birmingham.

The company did not provide a reason for the possible layoffs but has seen its finances take a hit since the January incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9. It ultimately paid the airline $160 million as compensation after a door plug blew out during a flight, causing the plane's pilot to make an emergency landing.

Last month, Boeing announced deliveries of its passenger jets dropped during the first quarter of this year to their lowest number since midway through 2021, in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aerospace giant delivered 83 passenger jets during the first three months of 2024, a drop from 157 during the previous quarter and 130 planes in the first quarter of last year.

Last week, Huntsville-based WHNT-TV reported delays caused by NASA of the space agency's Space Launch System program could affect staffing at the Boeing plant in that city.

Boeing is a major partner in the SLS project, a super heavy-lift rocket meant to power NASA's Artemis missions to eventually return astronauts to the lunar surface.