Boeing is reducing its commercial airplane workforce by 5% as the aircraft manufacturer struggles to bring its production operations back to a stable pace, adding to the challenges facing its recovery efforts.
The company announced the workforce reduction on Monday, citing changes to production schedules and a slower-than-expected increase in aircraft output. The cuts will affect Boeing Commercial Airplanes, although the company has not publicly disclosed which departments will face the reductions.
In a message to employees, Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial aircraft division, said the company needed to adjust its workforce to match its revised production plans.
READ: India in talks to purchase Boeing jets in deal valued at $80 Billion (February 6, 2026)
“Adjusting our production schedules and reducing aircraft output puts us in an overstaffed position.”
Pope said Boeing was slowing its production ramp-up to give its factories and supply chain partners more time to stabilize operations.
“We need to reset the pace of our production rate ramps to provide our factories and supply chain partners additional time to achieve stability.”
The workforce reduction is expected to involve a combination of layoffs and employee attrition. Boeing Commercial Airplanes had approximately 50,494 employees as of December 2025, meaning a 5% reduction could affect around 2,525 positions if applied across the entire division.
Pope acknowledged that the company had made progress in improving its operations, pointing to this year’s U.S. certification developments involving the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10. However, she indicated that Boeing still had considerable ground to cover.
“While we have made substantial progress, we have not yet fully recovered.”
The announcement comes amid continued delays in Boeing’s efforts to increase aircraft production. Just two weeks earlier, the company pushed back its target for increasing production of the 737 MAX narrowbody aircraft to 2027. The original goal was to achieve the higher production rate by the end of this year.
Boeing is also expected to miss its year-end delivery targets for the 737 and the 787 Dreamliner widebody aircraft, according to Mint.
The company’s production challenges have also drawn attention from its top leadership. On October 27, CEO Kelly Ortberg acknowledged that Boeing’s recovery would take longer than expected, indicating that the company would need more time to stabilize its manufacturing operations.
READ: Air India rolls out exclusive Boeing 787-9 flight with luxurious, Indian-inspired cabins (January 29, 2026)
“We’re making progress, but we still have more work to do, and I’m expecting it’ll take us into next year to get fully stable at this rate.”
The latest workforce reduction highlights how Boeing’s production difficulties are affecting not just its aircraft delivery plans but also its staffing requirements. As the company revises its manufacturing targets, it is adjusting its workforce to reflect a slower recovery than originally anticipated.