Cessna Aircraft will bring back some laid-off workers and also hire some new ones to add 150 jobs to its workforce, The Wichita Eagle reported last week. The workers will help the company boost production in anticipation of increased demand. Cessna also recently hired more sales staff, according to the Eagle. Recent production numbers from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association showed that Cessna delivered more airplanes in 2011 than it did the year before. Since 2009, the company has cut more than 6,000 jobs in Wichita.
Cessna delivered 178 jets in 2010, and 183 in 2011, according to GAMA. Piston deliveries grew from 239 to 245. In the first three months of this year, Cessna delivered 38 Citation jets, compared with 31 in the first three months of 2011, according to the Eagle. The company also has been moving forward with development of its newest jet, the M2, which was introduced last October. The single-pilot-certified M2, with a six-passenger cabin, flew for the first time last month. The jet is positioned as a step up for Mustang pilots.
