WASHINGTON – Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation on Wednesday questioned Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg about the steps the company is taking to ensure public safety on their aircrafts and what the future of Boeing looks like in Kansas.
“Boeing is in the process of acquiring Spirit AeroSystems - the largest private employer in Kansas, employing about 12,000 people,” continued Sen. Moran. “We have hundreds of small businesses who do work for Boeing and work with Spirit. It’s not just one company, it’s a whole system by which Kansas aerospace and aviation – the Air Capital of the World – operates.”
“It was indicated to me that without the acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems the new generation of any aircraft developed by Boeing would not involve work in Wichita or work in Kansas,” continued Sen. Moran. “With the acquisition, the statement was made, that the work could more likely occur in Kansas. You are going to build a new aircraft someday, what’s the plan for where that work will take place?”
Mr. Ortberg discussed future plans for aviation development and assured Sen. Moran of Boeing’s commitment to keep jobs in Kansas.
“Let me just assure you that Spirit AeroSystems and the work we do in Kansas is critically important,” said Mr. Ortberg. “We are spending a significant amount of our capital to acquire that company, and we are not going to do that and move work out of Kansas. The work that we are doing there is going to stay there. In fact, I am very hopeful that once we get the acquisition closed, we will find opportunities to do even more work.”