Cessna Aircraft Co., the nation’s largest builder of corporate jets, has announced an additional 1,300 layoffs. The cuts mean the company will have slashed its work force in half since the recession began. The recession has hurt demand for corporate jets.
Cessna said Friday the cutbacks will affect all the company’s facilities.
Company spokesman Robert Stangarone says 800 people, mostly in production, will get layoff notices by June 19. The company then will go into a previously scheduled furlough period from June 22 to July 17. When work resumes, he says 500 more people will get layoff notices.
The company also plans an additional three-week furlough companywide on top of those moves.
Last week, CEO Jack Pelton sent an e-mail to employees warning them of the coming cuts in the work force and production, but he did not say how many workers will lose their jobs.
“Order cancellations have not stopped. The market for new aircraft remains frozen as customers wait to see if the recovery forecasted comes to fruition,” according to Pelton’s letter, which was posted on The Wichita Eagle's Web site.
The company, a unit of Textron Inc., said aircraft financing remains difficult for its customers.
Textron spokeswoman Karen Gordon declined to provide further details on planned cuts.
