Better to "do less"

Boeing considers sale of space business

The US aircraft manufacturer is currently struggling with particular problems in space - now its ambitions there could be put on hold.

(Bild: Boeing)

According to the Wall Street Journal, the ailing US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is considering selling its aerospace division. The newspaper reported on Friday that it was considering a separation from the business with the US space agency NASA and the troubled Starliner spacecraft.

A Boeing spokesman said that "market rumors or speculation" would not be commented on. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg had said on Wednesday that the company would be well advised to "do less and do it better than to do more and not do it well".

He did not comment on the aerospace division, but said that commercial aircraft and the defense division were "core products" that should remain with Boeing.

Struggling with technical problems
Boeing's Starliner project to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) has been struggling with technical problems for a long time. Currently, the competitor company SpaceX alone is transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS. But the Boeing Group's reputation has also suffered in recent years due to numerous incidents involving its passenger aircraft.

Sizable loss for the Group
In the third quarter, Boeing posted a loss of 6.17 billion dollars (5.73 billion euros), while turnover fell by one percent to 17.84 billion dollars. A labor dispute is also currently causing high costs.

Since mid-September, a strike by around 33,000 employees in the Pacific Northwest region has paralyzed the assembly of Boeing 737 Max and 777 aircraft. On Wednesday, the workforce rejected a new wage offer from the company management.