End Of A Tradition?

Ever since the very first Citation was built, every Cessna jet made has rolled off an assembly line in Wichita (KS). But that may soon change.

Quoting company sources, the Wichita Eagle reports Cessna is considering building the Mustang at its plant in Independence (KS). The rumors apparently have enough juice behind them that the machinists union has officially asked Cessna what's up.

"We asked them if they were looking at this thing going to Independence," said Steve Rooney, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. "They said there's been no decision made on it."

Earlier this week, when asked about where the Mustang will be built, senior vice president for product engineering Jack Pelton said "it's not a given" that the work will be done in Wichita.

Right now, all of Cessna's piston-powered aircraft are made in Independence. Sources tell the Eagle Cessna executives are divided over whether they should build the $2.5 million, 6-place Mustang in Independence.

For instance:

• Labor is cheaper in Independence
• There's a lot of unused space at the Independence plant right now
• It could give Cessna a chance to rethink the way it builds airplanes, rethinking its business strategy and minimizing costs

Is Cessna Shopping?

There's some speculation in the industry that Cessna may be trying to pull a Boeing. The world's largest maker of commercial aircraft put its headquarters on the auction block a couple of years ago, openly shopping for the best possible deal on taxes and amenities and ultimately ending up in Chicago (IL). Now, Boeing is shopping for a place to build the new Dreamliner, the 7E7.

But Rooney says the Mustang should be built along with the rest of Cessna's jet fleet in Wichita. "We've got experienced jet manufacturers here, and we've got plenty of experienced laid-off jet manufacturers" in Wichita, he said.

FMI: www.cessna.textron.com, www.d70iam.org/home.html