Ryder Aviall Facility in Burbank to Be Closed

Ryder Aviall said it plans to close its Burbank aircraft-engine repair facility, which has 220 employees, over the next 12 months to consolidate those operations with the rest of its aviation business in Dallas.

Workers at Aviall, a unit of Miami-based Ryder System Inc., were told of the move earlier this year. Aviall spokesman Tom Jones said it will necessitate some layoffs, but that some employees will be offered transfers. “We don’t know yet how many that will be,” Jones said.

The consolidation is part of Ryder’s strategy to focus on its other main business, truck leasing. Ryder plans to spin off its airline-services unit in Miami that handles larger aircraft and its airline-parts inventory system before Dec. 31 into an independent, publicly held company. The new company will be based in Dallas.

Prior to the spin-off, Ryder may sell Aviall and its helicopter-engine repair business, Jones said.