Washington, (Samajweekly) Washington Governor Jay Inslee has expressed displeasure over airplane giant Boeing’s decision to move production of the 787 Dreamliner fleet to South Carolina, saying that it was “an insult”.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, Inslee said: “Washington state remains the best place in the world to build airplanes. Boeing’s success as a company is a credit to the workers and taxpayers of Washington state. Today’s announcement is an insult to the hardworking aerospace employees who build 787s.
“I recently asked Boeing’s leadership what the company needs to keep 787 production in Washington state. In all our conversations, they never asked for anything. I understand the serious market forces Boeing faces today. What I don’t understand is why the company can’t commit to restoring production here when the market for this plane improves.”
In an announcement earlier in the day, Boeing said that it was going to move the production of the rest of its 787 Dreamliner fleet to South Carolina in 2021, as part of a cost-cutting strategy.
As of 2019, Boeing was making record numbers of the 787 aircraft at its Everett widebody hub in Washington and since 2012 at the second plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Inslee further said in the statement that the move fell the “hardest on the more than 1,000 Washington workers who build the 787, and many more who face uncertainty as a result”
“But Boeing’s decision to take the 787 to South Carolina necessitates a review of our partnership and the company’s favourable tax treatment,” he added.
