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by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)

Open Day and Seniors Day at the Alenia Aermacchi Caselle Plant

On May 25, 2013, the Alenia Aermacchi Seniors Group organized prize-givings for personnel with 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service with the company. These events dates back to 1976.

The prize-giving for the Turin and Caselle plants was held in the afternoon at the Caselle South Flight-Test Centre, in Hangar N° 71. Simutaneously, but separately (never the two shall meet!) eight years after the last similar event - an Open Day for the other workers was organized successfully at the Caselle North plant.

This was the first time that either of these events had been organised since January 1, 2012, when Alenia Aeronautica, Alenia SIA and Alenia Aermacchi were merged to form the new Alenia Aermacchi.

It is a very complex period for the aerospace sector in Italy: according to the Alenia Aermacchi 2011 “Recovery, Restructuration and Reorganization Plan”, the Casoria factory and the Rome corporate seat were shut down, 747 senior workers were considered redundant and eased (through a mix of bonus, temporary lay-off and unemployment benefits) towards their retirement. Unfortunately, a relevant number of them – due to mistakes of the “pension reform” by the former Welfare Minister Elsa Fornero – found themselves with a time-gap between regular salary and pension earnings. As a compensation, according to an agreement with the Unions, 399 temporary workers were engaged full time. Moreover, a number of workers agreed a voluntary transfer to other company sites or other Finmeccanica companies such as AgustaWestland.

To make both the Open Day and the Seniors Day more enjoyable, Alenia Aermacchi took the opportunity to celebrate, with a dedicated documentary film, the centenary of the name Aermacchi in the aviation world.

At the Caselle South plant (the “Campo Volo”), a comprehensive selection of aircraft types now in production or undergoing updating was lined along the factory flight line. The static display included a C27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft for the Romanian Air Force, a single-seat EF 2000 fighter (MM7305 / IS037), the two-seat EF 2000 IPA2 (Instrumented Production Aircraft) with the badge of the company centenary on the fin, an Italian Air Force Panavia Tornado ECR (C.S.X7047) just upgraded to "IT Full MLU" configuration, a two-seater AMX ACOL attack aircraft operated by 101st OCU Group of 32nd Wing of the Italian Air Force, the Sky-Y UAV mock-up and the ATR 2-600 which will became the first ATR 72MP of the Italian Air Force.

The Open Day itinerary inside the Caselle North plant included the EF 2000 left wing and rear fuselage production line; the Typhoon final assembly line; the Tornado IT Full MLU modification area; the Dassault Falcon 2000 rear fuselage production line and the C-27J final assembly line, including the first two aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force. Three more aircraft were exhibited in the open air static display area: a Tornado IT Full MLU for the IAF (CSX7021 / IS020) an EF 2000 single-seat series aircraft (CSX7328 / IS060) and the C-27J “company demo aircraft” sporting the Chad flag, a sign confirming rumors about the recent (unannounced) sale of two items to that African country.

In the picture: The badge of the Alenia Aermacchi centenary on the fin of Eurofighter EF 2000 IPA2 (MM X-614), in static display at the company Caselle South plant, Italy (May 25, 2013). (Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, May 2013)