13 November 2008
Cessna had been hinting for a <a href=’http://www.flyer.co.uk/news/newsfeed.php?artnum=812′ target=’_blank’>for a couple of weeks</a> that it might be necessary to lay off workers, and now it has confirmed the fact: around 665 workers will be laid off with effect in early 2009. About 500 of these will go from the company’s main Wichita facility, with 165 or so from the plant in Bend, Oregon (that’s about a third of that facility’s workforce). Bend is the facility which manufactures the Cessna 350 and 400 aircraft, which Cessna inherited from Columbia a year ago.
Media reports in the Wichita area say that the company will offer all employees ‘voluntary furlroughs’ with severance packages, and hopes to avoid compulsory redundancies.
“We have now finalised the production schedule for 2009 and supporting annual operating plans,” according to an email from the company. “These actions are regrettable, but necessary to ensure our long-term stability and success.”
At the same time, the news from the Eclipse headquarters is that its employees will not be paid for the past two weeks’ work. For the moment, it appears that the majority of workers are taking this blow on the chin, hoping for some last minute reprieve in the form of an injection of cash which might secure their pay and their jobs.
Eclipse Aviation manufactures the Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet.
