Eclipse headed toward chapter 7 liquidation, all 800 employees laid off

Eclipse Aviation Corp., which makes the 6-seat Eclipse 500 very light jet in Albuquerque, said it will not contest a motion by senior secured creditors to convert Eclipse’s bankruptcy proceedings to a Chapter 7 liquidation.

Eclipse had already furloughed its remaining 800 employees on Feb. 18 because of the delays in financing negotiations. At that time, however, the company said it was a temporary move and it expected the deal to close and affected employees to return to work.

In a letter to employees on Feb. 24, Eclipse executives said the furlough had converted to a layoff effective as of Feb. 19, meaning no salaries would be forthcoming for paychecks due on March 5 and all benefits would end as of Feb. 28.