Aircraft Window Shortages Plague Industry Amid GKN Factory Woes
Planemakers and repair shops are conserving aircraft windows due to shortages caused by an incident at a California factory. GKN Aerospace, a leading supplier of cockpit and passenger windows, halted production in late May after an overheating tank raised concerns of an explosion and prompted the evacuation of 50,000 nearby residents.
The incident has led to parts delays and industry concerns over the supply of cockpit and passenger windows. Boeing said it had communicated with operators on steps to manage window inventories, advising airlines to replace windows only when necessary rather than for aesthetic reasons.
Melrose Industries, GKN's parent company, aims to restore the partially opened factory to full production by 2026. The shortages highlight lingering post-pandemic weaknesses in the aerospace supply chain despite improvements this year.