Behind Rolls-Royce, which announced last week that it would lay off nearly 9,000 employees, Boeing is also starting layoffs.

In the first quarter of this year, Boeing suffered a loss of $641 million. At the beginning of April, the firm's General Manager Dave Calhoun announced that they had prepared a voluntary layoff plan for staff. Boeing is expected to announce layoffs at US manufacturing facilities this week. The company, which employs about 160,000 people worldwide, has not received any order for two months this year. Customers cancelled procurement of 108 aircraft

A spokesman for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) union that represents 17,600 Boeing employees told Reuters Tuesday the company informed the union it should expect layoff notices on Friday. Boeing declined to comment. The firm is expected to reduce its workforce by 10 percent.

Announcing the changes within the company at the beginning of April, Calhoun said coronavirus would have a lasting impact on the global aviation industry and added: “It will take time for the aerospace industry to emerge from crisis.”