According to company spokesman Rick Kennedy, the facility here will not be affected by the layoffs. "It does substantial work in the military," Kennedy tells GlobeSt.com, explaining why this facility is secure. The September 11 attacks exacerbated an already bad situation in the airline industry, leading to one that "borders on unprecedented", notes Kennedy, who adds, "I've never seen anything like this."

Kennedy predicts that the difficult times will last for at least the next two to three years and points out that reductions in spare-parts sales and service orders played a part in the layoff decision.

After the attacks, airlines cut their services by 20% and shelved plans to buy planes, forcing manufacturers to cut production. Airlines and other aviation companies have laid off at least 93,000 people since the attacks. Passenger traffic has been reduced over 30% last month at many major US airlines.