Most Workers Started 4 Weeks at Home Monday

The economic downturn has hit the aviation industry particularly hard, and workers at Cessna Aircraft in Wichita began really feeling the pinch Monday. The company told most of its remaining workers to take a 4 week unpaid furlough, largely shuttering the facility for a month.

Cessna also sent out 60-day layoff notices on Friday, according to the Wichita Eagle. The company announced last week that it needed to reduce its workforce by 1,300 people. 800 got notices on Friday, with the remainder expected next month.

Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver said some areas of the company will not be affected, like the service center, technical support, parts and sales. He said an additional three week furlough can be expected later in the year, but will not affect production workers. Those furloughs will be "rolling", meaning it is up to workers to arrange with management how they will take the unpaid leave, but it must be used by the end of the year.

Cessna has cut about 53 percent of its workforce since November, over 8,200 jobs in all. Among Wichita's three aviation manufacturers, which also includes Hawker Beechcraft and Bombardier, almost 12 thousand people have lost their jobs.

FMI: www.cessna.com