Malaysian-owned Eagle Aircraft will shut down its Australian manufacturing operations in Perth at the end of this month and transfer production of the Eagle 150B two-seater to its plant at Malacca, 200km (124 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur.
The closure follows "an ongoing review of the plant's viability in light of the international economic downturn", says the company. Eagle has been hit particularly by the slump in the USA, which is its largest market. "The plant would remain open whilst it was able to achieve a break-even position. However, the slowdown, exacerbated by 11 September, made this goal impossible to achieve," Eagle adds. The company employed 44 staff in Perth.
Eagle's parent company, Composite Technologies Research Malaysia, rescued the manufacturer from pending bankruptcy in early 1991., following two years of attempts by its former Western Australian owners to secure funds from the government and private sector.
Source: Flight International
