A HAMPSHIRE military aircraft repair site is set to shut down a production line, re-deploying 200 staff, and axing 25 jobs.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed it will close two sites, the Defence Aviation Repair Agency's (DARA) units in St Athan, South Wales and the engine production line at Fleetlands in Fareham Road, Gosport.
The axe has been hanging over the heads of hundreds of staff at the two sites for the past few months and it has now been confirmed that more than 700 jobs will go by April 2007.
Gosport MP, Peter Viggers, has been closely involved in the discussions to save the jobs of his constituents.
He said: "I have visited the site on numerous occasions and talked to senior management, looking for ways of keeping employees in work.''
He said the MoD was going to privatise part of Fleetlands and that there was no longer a need for the engine production line to keep operating.
Instead 200 staff will move to the airframe line with the loss of 25 posts.
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