Cessna Aircraft Company announced today (Thursday) it will cut 200 jobs from its Independence assembly plant in a round of company-wide layoffs that total 4,600 jobs.

Of the 4,600 total layoffs, 4,000 will also come from the company’s Wichita headquarters and assembly plant; 105 will come from a plant in Columbus, Ga.; and 120 will come from a plant in Bend, Ore. Cessna also announced it will close its Citation Service Center in Toledo, Ohio, at the end of March.

Jack Pelton, Cessna CEO, said in a letter to Cessna employees today that the company had originally planned to reduce 2,600 jobs several months ago. However, because of declining production levels, a total of 4,600 jobs will need to be eliminated.

Sixty-day layoff notices started to filter through the Cessna plants this morning, and more will be issued over the next few weeks, according to a Cessna spokesperson.

January 30, 2009 · Posted in News