Gainesville, Texas-based Safran Seats, owned by Paris, France-based Safran and a designer, certifier, and assembler of aircraft seats, has announced a major reduction in force at its manufacturing facility located in Santa Maria, California. The Safran Seats facility will close by the end of 2020 and impact 300 employees.
The decision was driven by the worldwide downturn in the airline industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Safran Cabin, also located in Santa Maria and a creator of cabin interiors, will remain open although it previously laid off 58 employees.
According to a Safran spokesperson, "The aerospace industry is facing an unprecedented crisis as a result of the coronavirus pandemic's wide-ranging effects. There has been an 80% reduction in the amount of global air travel, and the impact of this already is being felt throughout the industry."
"The rescheduling of recent contracts due to COVID-19 has resulted in much of our activity being postponed to 2023. Regrettably, our company cannot sustain these significant business impacts, and we are now in the unfortunate position of making major structural adjustments to Safran Seats worldwide."
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?