Posted: Sun, Jan 16, 2005, 10:48 AM ET (1548 GMT)
Boeing announced Friday that it plans to lay off 100 employees from the Alabama plant that manufactures Delta rockets because of a continuing contracting ban from the Air Force. The cuts will primarily involve manufacturing and related support positions, with some engineering and management positions to be cut as well. A total of 650 people current work at the Decatur, Alabama facility that builds Delta 4 rockets. Boeing officials said the cuts were necessitated by a drop in demand for the vehicle. The Air Force enacted a ban on purchasing Boeing launch vehicles, and transferred seven launches previously awarded to the Delta 4 to Lockheed's Atlas 5, because of improprieties by Boeing employees during the initial EELV contracting process. Boeing also removed the Delta 4 from the commercial market in 2003. A Boeing official said that further job cuts in the Delta program may be required in the future if the contracting ban remains in effect.

Related Links:

•  Huntsville Times article
•  Decatur Daily article