The world's largest aircraft maker, Boeing, has announced plans to cut a further 5,000 jobs next year.

"These 5,000 job cuts announced for 2003 are in addition to the 1,200 to 1,500 reductions announced last month," said spokesman Bill Cogswell.

"The cuts will be in all areas, hourly workers, salaried, engineers, non-union, managers and executives".

In total, Boeing has announced up to 36,500 job cuts since the sharp downturn in air traffic since last year's 11 September attacks.

"We announced last year we were cutting 30,000 jobs worldwide in 2002 and we're on schedule," Mr Cogswell said.

Next year's job cuts are due to hit workers in Boeing's commercial jet division and its services unit.

Recovery

Boeing's bad news coincided with optimistic predictions about travel volume during next week's Thanksgiving holiday in the US as the American people's travel pattern returns to normal following 11 September.

And as people once again take to the skies, demand for aircraft from the airlines should eventually pick up.

"While none of us likes the idea of additional reductions, it looks like the worst is certainly behind us," Boeing Commercial Aircraft president Alan Mulally told workers.

Union officials criticised Boeing's decision.

"We had thought this was levelling off," said machinist union official Mark Blondin who represents the largest labour force at Boeing.

"We have received the brunt of the cutting and we have members working more overtime than they want.

"We're disappointed that the company didn't spread out some of this work, instead of cutting jobs."