Downsizing Will Result in 65 Job Losses

Has-been private jet operator Wheels Up has notified employees at one of its locations that they would be laid off in the near future, putting 65 people out of work.

The operator told those at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport of Jefferson County, Colorado that pretty much all Wheels Up employees there would be getting the axe.

“All of Wheels Up’s operations at the hangar are expected to cease," the announcement reads. It effectively puts to rest ops for the "Uber for Jets" operator at the third largest airfield in the state. "Chief People Officer" Brian Kedzior said that there would be a handful of "selected administrative and office employees that will be maintained due to their role supporting other Wheels Up locations."

The layoffs will be completed by Jun 16, said Kedzior. The removal of the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, and a similar move in Cincinnati, Ohio, come as a part of the firm’s efforts to more closely tailor its corporate footprint to the operations it sees day to day. While there was bad news for the Colorado team, Wheels Up had good news for the Floridians, announcing a new repair and maintenance facility at the Palm Beach International Airport. 

"PBI represents a strategic shift in the allocation of the company's maintenance facilities, with an end goal of better aligning resources to the company's geographic network and flight demand density."

"The decision to close these facilities is not one that we made lightly. Our entire maintenance team is responsible for driving meaningful improvement across key customer experience indicators, particularly total completion rate and on-time performance metrics," said Dave Holtz, Chief Operating Officer at Wheels Up. "Our people are absolutely crucial to our success, and we are highly appreciative of the MRO providers we have partnered with to ensure that we take care of the staff affected by these closures in every way we possibly can."

FMI: www.wheelsup.com