Helicopter manufacturer Leonardo is consulting with employees over jobs at its Yeovil facility, proposing to reduce "up to 70 roles" on its final assembly line where aircraft are constructed, following a short-term reduction in workload within that section of the business.
The Italian-based firm told Business Live that the actual number of redundancies could be considerably lower than the figure provided, as Leonardo seeks to redeploy staff into other areas within the company. The decision to consult on the positions has no bearing on the broader operations of the Yeovil plant or its long-term presence in the county.
Restructuring in the final assembly line
A spokesperson for Leonardo said: "Despite recent successes with order intake and contract awards, overall manufacturing timelines across programmes do not deliver immediate work to our final assembly line in Yeovil."
"Following a detailed review of short-term workload at Yeovil, the company has made the difficult decision to announce restructuring in the final assembly line within the UK Helicopter's business, which may result in a reduction of up to 70 roles."
Leonardo told Business Live it would be "offering support" to its workforce and was engaging with the trade union and employee representatives throughout the restructuring process.
Redeployment and reskilling options
"Leonardo is exploring redeployment and reskilling options to minimise job losses in the final assembly line in response to the short-term workload deficit," the spokesperson added.
"The company continues to invest in future skills such as through our dedicated Early Careers schemes. On-scheme apprentices and graduates will not be impacted by this restructuring."
"The company remains committed to delivering and securing future orders for domestic and export customers, sustaining critical rotary wing skills and capabilities in the UK, and importantly at the home of British helicopters."
Recent government contract and investments
In March, the government awarded a £1bn contract to Leonardo that safeguarded the future of the Yeovil site - Leonardo's final remaining helicopter manufacturing facility in Britain - alongside thousands of jobs. Under the arrangement, Leonardo will supply the UK Armed Forces with 23 new medium-lift helicopters. The deal also included additional investment in Proteus - the UK's first autonomous uncrewed air system - which completed its maiden flight earlier this year.
The government deal in March came just months after Leonardo's top boss had warned that without the contract, the Yeovil factory could be put at risk. The MoD said that international orders for military helicopters from the firm's Yeovil facility could generate upwards of £15bn in exports over the coming decade.
Nigel Colman, managing director of helicopters UK at Leonardo, said in March: "Leonardo is committed to providing the UK armed forces with a world-class medium lift helicopter based on our leading AW149 platform that will serve our military personnel for many years to come."
"The Government's procurement of the AW149, as well as the continued investment in autonomy, will support more than 3,300 jobs in Yeovil, the home of British helicopters, as well as 12,000 across the UK supply chain."
In May, the firm unveiled a new helicopter maintenance and support facility at Elstree Aerodrome in Hertfordshire. The £15m site is being utilised to service the substantial fleet of Leonardo commercial helicopters currently operating across the UK. Clive Higgins, chief executive of Leonardo UK, said at the time the investment reflected the company's "enduring belief" in the UK aerospace sector and "the importance of long-term customer partnerships". Leonardo has more than 200 helicopters in operation in the UK and Ireland.
