Cuts Part Of Larger Workforce Reduction Plan

Bombardier Aerospace has issued 60-day layoff notices to 160 Wichita employees. The job losses are part of a plan announced in October to cut 350 positions at Bombardier's Wichita plant this year as the company realigns business jet production. The remainder of the reductions will occur over the next eight to 11 months, Bombardier spokesman Dave Franson said.

"It's going to be an incremental process," Franson said.

Bombardier is shifting assembly of the Challenger 300 business jet from Wichita to a plant in Dorval, Quebec, near Montreal. The layoffs are related to that move, Franson said. Another aspect of the Bombardier realignment is the shifting of completion work on Bombardier's Learjet models from Tucson to Wichita. Wichita's plant will continue to build Learjet 40, 45 and 60 models. The changes will save the company $25 million a year, Bombardier officials said in October.

While the layoffs are not good news, it could have been far worse. Bombardier had warned last year that it might close one or more of its manufacturing plants. Wichita's costs were the highest of its six plants, which spurred workers to help cut costs by accepting concessions in wages and benefits.

FMI: www.aero.bombardier.com