PRINCE GEORGE, Va. -- Rolls-Royce says it will close its aircraft parts factory in central Virginia by the middle of next year, throwing 280 people out of work.
The company confirmed the decision on Saturday, which it said came about from the decline in global travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There had already been 120 layoffs at the plant in June, according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The factory opened in 2011 in an office park in Prince George County.
Workers were told Friday about the plant closings. Then-President Barack Obama visited the plant in 2012.
British-based Rolls-Royce has North American headquarters in northern Virginia.
