Boeing posts fourth straight quarterly loss as sales slump

This post was originally published on this site

https://i-invdn-com.akamaized.net/trkd-images/LYNXMPEG9R0Y8_L.jpg

Boeing said it was sticking with its deeply reduced widebody production rates announced in July, as well as the goal to hit a build rate of 31 narrowbodies monthly in early 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic has grounded air travel to a near halt, pushing major airlines to the brink of bankruptcy and forcing them to seek government aid, cut costs and defer aircraft deliveries.

As a result, Chicago-based Boeing has slashed production, shed thousands of jobs and shifted its jet development strategy, while working to emerge from the depths of the crisis and the 19-month-old worldwide ban of its 737 MAX jets triggered by two fatal accidents.

The company began a massive job-shedding campaign earlier this year and expects to cut 19,000 jobs by year-end out of the roughly 160,000 workers it had globally by end-2019.

The company’s free cash outflow rose to $5.08 billion in the quarter, from $2.89 billion, a year earlier, while total debt jumped to $61 billion, from $19.2 billion.

Excluding items, Boeing lost $1.39 per share in the third-quarter ended Sept. 30.

Revenue fell 29% to $14.14 billion.