Kansas-based airplane parts manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems plans to deliver 160 ship sets in 2021 to Boeing for the latter’s 737 Max aircraft. In comparison, the manufacturer sold 71 shipsets to Boeing in Q1 2020.
According to its Q1 2021 earnings release, Spirit has begun calling back employees to increase production rates. During the quarter, the firm shipped 269 shipsets, compared with 324 shipsets delivered in Q1 2020. The company has been grappling with electrical difficulties at its Wichita unit, causing production delays.
Spirit saw a drop in Q1 2021 revenue to $900mn from $1.07bn in the same quarter last year, driven by lower production rates of narrowbody planes such as the Airbus A320 due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions. However, the company says that it is positive about its $33bn backlog which includes orders for both Boeing and Airbus programs.
On the other hand, Boeing witnessed 54pc growth in its Q1 2021 orders. The aircraft maker delivered 77 units in the first quarter against 50 units in the same quarter of last year.