Spirit AeroSystems offers managers buyouts during Boeing 737 Max crisis

Spirit AeroSystems is offering early retirement packages to managers and salaried employees, the latest round of cost-savings maneuvers by Wichita’s largest company as it deals with the Boeing 737 Max crisis.

A spokesperson for Spirit would not say how many employees were offered voluntary early retirement. The major supplier of Boeing announced some 2,800 layoffs in Wichita last month. The layoffs started after the company halted production of the 737 Max.

Spirit and Boeing continued production for 10 months after two overseas crashes that killed a total of 346 people grounded the planes worldwide last March.

In an internal company notice obtained by The Eagle, Spirit management and both union and non-union salaried employees working in Wichita, Tulsa and McAlester were offered early retirement Friday morning. Those wishing to accept have until Feb. 28 to notify the company.

Qualified employees include those aged 55 or older who have been with the company at least 10 years or are 60 or older and have been with the company at least 5 years. They must also have a pension that transferred from Boeing to Spirit.

Workers who take the buyout will get one year’s salary or $80,000, whichever is less — in a lump sum, rollover option or annuity benefit.

“This is part of Spirit’s workforce adjustments in response to the production halt on the 737 MAX,” Spirit spokesperson Keturah Austin said in an email.

Employees who take the early retirement buyout will coordinate with managers to set an retirement date of no later than March 26, 2020.