RENTON, Wash. — Hundreds of people who participated in an exclusive King 5 News poll are at least somewhat concerned with how Boeing’s problems with the 737 MAX will impact Washington state’s economy.
Of the 1,200 adults interviewed between March 6-8, 44% are somewhat concerned and 15% are very concerned, according to the results.
The survey was completed before the Federal Aviation Administration said it would require Boeing to replace electrical wires located in all 800 MAX jets manufactured to date.
In January, Boeing posted its first annual loss since 1997 as it struggles to handle the grounding of the 737 MAX. Boeing said it lost $1 billion in the fourth quarter. The financial damage from the grounding for the company exceeds $18 billion. The company set aside billions to compensate airlines affected by the grounding.
The planes were grounded in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people. One crash off the coast of Indonesia killed 189 people. Months later, 157 people died when a 737 MAX crashed six minutes after takeoff in Ethiopia.
Families of the passengers have filed more than 100 lawsuits against Boeing.
Though analysts have said the company is “too big to fail,” others have expressed concern.
In Renton, the only city where the 737 MAX is assembled, officials have said the impact on employment due to a temporary halt in production would be felt outside the company. The company temporarily stopped production in January.
Major suppliers have announced layoffs due to the grounding as well, including one in Kansas that said it would layoff 2,800 people.
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Boeing previously said it would not layoff or furlough employees, instead temporarily reassigning them. Boeing provides an estimated 12,000 jobs in Renton.
