WICHITA, Kan. — Aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems announced Tuesday that it is temporarily halting work for Boeing that is performed in Wichita, Kansas, and two Oklahoma facilities amid an outbreak of the new coronavirus.
The move came after Boeing announced Monday that it was suspending operations at its Seattle, Washington, area facilities. At least 110 people have died from COVID-19 in Washington state, mostly in the Seattle area. Boeing employs about 70,000 people in the region. The company said 32 employees have tested positive for the virus, including 25 in the greater Seattle area.
At Spirit, military, non-Boeing work and other programs will continue. In Oklahoma, the suspension affects facilities in Tulsa and McAlester. Spirit will continue to support 787 work for Boeing’s Charleston, South Carolina, facility.
Spirit did not say how many employees would be affected, but the suspension begins Wednesday and will last until April 8. Employees will continue to be paid during the two-week period. Deep cleaning of work spaces and facilities also is planned.
