Part Of Planned Sale Of Business Jet And GA Operations

Some 170 workers at Hawker Beechcraft's Little Rock factory received layoff notices Thursday, as the company negotiates the sale of its GA and business jet divisions to a Chinese concern.

The 60-day notices are required by federal law. The Associated Press reports that the factory customizes aircraft interiors and performs maintenance and repairs. HBC said it was trimming its domestic workforce as part of the sales negotiations.

The Little Rock facility employs about 450 workers. The notices went out to both hourly and salaried employees of the company. In a statement, Governor Mike Beebe said he was glad the plant was staying open, but that the loss of jobs was "unfortunate."

"As you might imagine, our private-aircraft industry suffered significantly throughout the course of the recession as well as high-end industries that tends to suffer even more," Bebee told Tulsa World. "The good news is they're not shutting down, they're keeping some workforce."
 
HBC is negotiating with the Chinese company Superior Aviation Beijing under an exclusinve agreement approved by the bankruptcy court. The Chinese company bid for the civilian portions of the company, but is not attempting to purchase HBC's military division.

FMI: www.hawkerbeechcraft.com