Workers who assemble Boeing planes are on strike. Will that affect flights?
A strike by some 33,000 Boeing machinists is impacting production of the company's best-selling airplanes
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — A strike by some 33,000 Boeing machinists has halted production of the American aerospace giant's best-selling airplanes. The workers began picketing at Boeing factories and plants in Washington, Oregon and California on Friday after rejecting a contract offer their union negotiated and endorsed.
The work stoppage will not immediately impact commercial flights but could still bring significant losses for the company, which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, but has its roots in the Seattle area, where it makes most of its planes for airlines. Boeing is already dealing with a battered reputation and financial struggles that have piled up over recent years.
Here's what to know about the potential impact of the strike and what might happen next.
The strike won’t affect travelers unless it lasts a very long time.
The strike stops production of the 737 Max, Boeing’s best-selling airliner, along with the 777 or “triple-seven” jet and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Renton and Everett, Washington, near Seattle. It will probably not affect Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are built by nonunion workers in South Carolina.
Airlines sometimes place orders for large numbers of planes, but when they do the deliveries are usually spread over several years. The strike therefore isn't likely to create a plane shortage at any particular airline. Some carriers might have to keep flying some of their older planes longer because the Boeing jets they bought to replace them will be delayed.
However, Boeing stands to lose a lot of cash, at least in the short term. Based on the length of past Boeing strikes
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