Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — Dassault Falcon announced Friday that it will lay off 150 employees and 55 contract workers at its completion center here.

It’s the third round of layoffs for the company, which finishes the interiors of corporate jets and paints exteriors at its Little Rock plant.

Dassault, headquartered in Teterboro, N.J., laid off 153 workers in June and another 72 in September.

Along with the 205 workers in Little Rock, the company also laid off 9 employees at its headquarters Friday.

John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon, said the layoffs reflect difficult economic times.

“The challenges of the global economy continue to force us to make very difficult decisions,” Rosanvallon said in a release. “While we see signs that the business aviation market may be stabilizing, it’s too early to predict when sustained growth will return to our industry.”

Rosanvallon said the decision to make the cuts “is a very painful one,” made as a last resort to preserve as many jobs as possible.

He said the layoffs would not affect current Falcon delivery schedules.

Wichita-based Hawker Beechcraft Corp., a competitor which also operates a facility in Little Rock, announced layoffs in May and August.