Piper Aircraft spokesman Mark Miller said the company laid off 300 workers Feb. 10 after further deterioration in aircraft sales, leaving the company with a workforce of 650.
In addition, Piper will shut down operations for two weeks without pay; one of the weeks is in April and the other is in July. The entire company, from executives to hourly workers, is affected. Additional layoffs may still be required based on assessments made during the shutdown in April and July.
“General aviation has been experiencing one of the worst downturns in its history and sales of airplanes have sharply deteriorated over the past few months. These unforeseeable business circumstances are virtually unprecedented and have caused the company to take agonizing and painful actions,” Miller said in a statement.
Earlier this month Bombardier announced it must lay off or eliminate 1,360 jobs worldwide, including 300 in Wichita. That brings the total number of laid-off workers in Wichita to 8,000, counting 800 at Boeing Wichita. Cessna Aircraft Company, in a further action, said some of its subassembly and component manufacturing workers will begin three-and four-day work weeks.
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