Boeing delays on Wichita sale decision

WICHITA, Kan. — Boeing Co. will not decide until early next year whether to sell its commercial airplane operations in Kansas and Oklahoma, company officials told employees Friday.

In a brief e-mail to workers from Jeff Turner, general manager of Boeing’s Wichita operations, and other top officials, the company said it had planned to make a decision by the end of this year.

“The process is very complex, though, and Boeing wants to be sure that all aspects of this decision are considered,” the e-mail said. “We now expect a decision early in 2005.”

Boeing announced earlier this year it is considering selling its commercial aviation plants in Wichita, and Tulsa and McAlester, Okla.

A December announcement had been widely anticipated since October, when Boeing chief executive Harry Stonecipher said the company was reviewing bids and probably would make a decision by the end of 2004.

“What this message really says is we are going to take a sufficient amount of time so whatever decision is reached is the right decision,” said Boeing spokesman Dick Ziegler.

Boeing employs about 8,400 workers at the three locations, 7,100 of them in Wichita. Boeing’s defense business in Wichita, and its 3,400 workers, are not part of the sale.

“In order for there to be a greater chance of the right decision, we need to consider three sets of people: our employees, our stockholders and our community,” Ziegler said.