Cessna Aircraft will close its three component-production plants in Columbus, Ga., over the next 24 months and will move the work to its facilities in Independence, Kan., and Chihuahua, Mexico. In tandem, the aircraft manufacturer announced it will “accelerate” plans to move some subassembly work from its Wichita facilities to Mexico. According to Cessna, more than 300 employees in Columbus and about 175 in Wichita will be affected by this decision, though “no immediate jobs will be lost with this announcement.” Cessna said it made the moves “to get in front of increased global competition and the effects of the economic downturn.” Cessna is facing increased competition from Embraer, which has the advantage of using low-cost labor in its home country of Brazil.