Unconfirmed... But Not Really Surprising

There are unconfirmed reports out of Kerrville, TX that Mooney Aircraft has laid off more workers. The Kerrville Daily Times reports one of about 40 workers allegedly laid off Tuesday contacted the paper, advising them of the layoffs.

The planemaker initially laid off 80 workers in June, out of its original workforce of about 400 workers at its plant at Schreiner Field (ERV). At the time, Mooney also scaled back its normal production rate of around eight planes per month, to five.

As ANN reported, Mooney handed out pink slips to another 229 employees in early November, as the small general aviation manufacturer struggled to cope with declining sales and the slumping global economy. The layoffs effectively shut down production. 

Mooney VP and and chief financial officer Jon Greenwood wouldn't comment to the Times on the latest report, noting company CEO Robert Gowens would be the one to speak to... but he's out of town until January 5.

Aero-News has spoken to a source with close ties to Mooney, who also could not confirm the report. The source did note that at the time of the November layoffs, however, Mooney still had a small number of aircraft on the production line awaiting completion. These layoffs, if confirmed, would appear to indicate those planes have been finished.

The Kerrville paper notes Mooney has about 28 completed planes on the ground at ERV, awaiting delivery.

FMI: www.mooney.com