ALMOST 50 jobs have been lost at an airline engineering firm in Southend.

Following the issuing of risk of redundancy notices in April, Aviation Way business park-based Inflite Southend has now closed its aircraft maintenance centre at the site with the loss of 50 jobs – though seven were able to be relocated to Stansted.

Managing director Bob Peck said seven of the 50 employees at the site were able to be reemployed to its facility in Stansted, with 55 workers remaining in the company’s component repair and overhaul services, which the company will now look to expand.

He said: “Due to Group restructuring, Inflite MRO Services Ltd has completed the redundancy programme for 50 employees in its aircraft maintenance centre at Southend and has ceased to operate this part of the business as of June 30.

“Seven employees were relocated to our Stansted facilities and Inflite MRO Services continues to operate its MRO base at Southend with its component repair and overhaul services activity and with its existing 55 employees. Strategically Inflite now look to grow and develop this side of the business.”

Economy councillor and deputy leader Ann Holland said she hoped any planned expansion of Inflite’s component and repair overhaul services would mitigate the recent job losses.

She said: “It’s sad, and I’m pleased to hear some of the employees have been kept on elsewhere, but for those who have lost their jobs it will have a knock-on effect on their families and I just hope, if they’re expanding, there’s some chance they could retrain and go back.”