The regeneration program had been taking unflyable aircraft salvaging it with different parts and making it flyable, she said. "We had a really large regeneration effort that was happening for our F-1s and we are actually going to be stopping regenerating aircraft and now we are going to go into sustainment and modernization," Childs added. side," she said. "It's the nature of the business. We had the contract, we scaled up for that. We no longer have the contract, we are scaling back." 'We didn't have a wrench': Winter Haven student aviation club preps engine for first flightįor example, Draken will be training with the military in the United Kingdom. Set for departure: Lakeland Linder director Gene Conrad to exit post for Sun 'n Fun "We have other contracts globally," Childs said. ![]() The USAF had given Draken a 60 days notice regarding the end of the contract. Most of the workers losing their jobs were in the company's F-1 regeneration program, said Christina Childs, director of marketing and communications for Draken. The USAF opted not to use the option year in its current contract, therefore the last flights with Draken will be on June 4, she said. The lease also said Draken had made improvements to the property it occupies at the Airside Center and sets out a schedule of monthly installments to rent the facility. "This is a response to the contract or lack thereof."ĭraken's lease for the hanger and office space was originally signed in 2013. The city and the defense contractor agreed to a second modification on May 28, 2020 to step increases in rent payments and up to $15,000 in credits for fuel purchases. "There is no change in any of the lease or anything," he said. "And I think we will see Draken come back and, you know, hire a lot of that back," the mayor added. "It's just a function of they have to work underneath the contracts they secure."ĭraken has a lease for space at the airport that they intend to keep for their aircraft, Mutz said. "I do think we'll find those people jobs around the airport area, because there is a wide skill set with respect to whose out there," Mutz said. The May 4 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (or WARN) letter was sent to Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz and Christina Omran, Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity's state trade and rapid response coordinator. Draken has locations in Fort Worth and San Antonio, Texas, and Kinston, N.C.ĭraken purchases air force assets from other US allied countries, including entire fleets of fighter jets, aircraft parts and machinery to regenerate and maintain the aircraft for training exercises with the US Air Force and other international military forces. Some of the furloughed workers will be offered transfers for job openings in other locations. ![]() ![]() There are 189 Draken employees at Lakeland Airport. 'The cargo market is hot': Lakeland's Legends Airways takes off after pandemic forces switch from passenger serviceĬourting commercial: Lakeland Linder has 'truly viable options' for commercial air service “As a result, the company will be required to permanently close a facility in Nevada due to circumstances outside of its control, and such closure will have additional mass layoff implications for the Lakeland, Florida, location at 3300 Flightline Dr.,” the letter went on. In a letter to state and city officials, Draken International LLC’s vice president of human resources Stacy L Culvert said, “The United States Air Force has declined to renew the Draken International’s ADAIR II contract.“ Defense contractor Draken International at Lakeland Linder International Airport has announced it will lay off up to 100 employees starting May 20.
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