Hawker Beechcraft‘s new chief executive told employees on April 14 that more layoffs are in store as the company responds to increasing marketplace uncertainty and a decline in orders for its aircraft, according to a Salina (Kansas) Journal report.
Bill Boisture, who took over as CEO last month, said in a memo that work force reductions will extend across all levels of the company, including senior management, and will occur in stages throughout the year. He said employees will be notified within the next few weeks, after staffing plans are complete. No mention of the number of positions to be cut was made, and the memo was the only comment the company would have on the subject for now, said Nicole Alexander, a company spokeswoman.
“No one could have predicted the rapid downturn in the global economy that began last October, nor its very direct impact on the general and business aviation industry,” Boisture said the memo. “We believe that making difficult decisions now will enable Hawker Beechcraft to survive this downturn and thrive in the long term.”
Hawker Beechcraft executives told employees in February that as many as 2,300 of them likely would lose their jobs before the end of the year. Nearly 500 lost their jobs late last year. Another round of layoffs struck the company’s Salina operation earlier this month when about 185 to 205 employees were laid off.
