Monday, December 19, 2011

The Boeing Company does not have intentions of finishing the KC-46 tanker in Wichita, according to Congressman Mike Pompeo.

The 4th District leader said Boeing officials have told him the company will not be finishing work on the new Air Force tanker, as previously announced. The company is currently studying whether to close its Wichita facility.

City and state leaders said Boeing promised jobs to the state when it won an aerial refueling tanker contract. The aviation company was planning to add 7,500 in Wichita.

"If the KC46 is not built in Kansas and the presidential aircraft moved to Kelly Airforce Base it becomes very difficult that Boeing would be able to keep it's facility here," said Pompeo.

Steve Rooney, IAM spokesman, said he wants to hold Boeing to its promise.

SPEA President Bob Brewer said, "Our talent here in Wichita is unmatched by anyone in this country."
Union officials say they had no idea of Boeing's plans while they were in Seattle recently negotiating.

Boeing says it's still reviewing its Wichita operations and won't make an announcement about any work moving elsewhere until late this year or early next year.

Boeing spokesman Jarrod Bartlett said the review is ongoing and
involves all Wichita programs, not just tankers. The company said
last month it was studying whether to close the facility, which has
2,100 employees and specializes in modifying commercial aircraft
for military or government operations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pompeo statement;

“The Boeing Company has made it clear that it does not intend to finish the KC-46A Tanker in Wichita, Kansas.“Instead the work will be done in Washington state. Until very recently, it had been my expectation based on representations made to all Kansans, personally to me and my office, and to the United States Air Force, that Boeing would create 7,500 aviation jobs in our great state should Boeing prevail in the tanker bid. We now know that Boeing intends to walk away from that promise, which severely jeopardizes the future of the over 2000 aviation jobs currently held by Boeing employees in Kansas.

My team and I have worked, and will continue to do all that we can, to encourage Boeing to do right by Kansans, whether by securing jobs working on the new tanker or another Boeing program. The company’s refusal to ‘dance with the girl who brung them’ on the tanker contract is incomprehensible and I urge Boeing’s senior leaders to reconsider this decision. “Boeing fought a long and fierce battle to build the KC-46A Tanker and secured the largest defense contract in the history of the world. Over a decade Boeing won, then lost and then once again emerged victorious over its competitor EADS. Kansas aviation workers were at the very core of Boeing’s effort that entire time.

During that competition, Boeing stressed—both publicly and in its formal final bid proposal submitted to the United States Air Force—that its Wichita, Kansas facility would be critical to building the next generation tanker. For years, Kansas’ elected political leadership worked diligently to secure a contract award for Boeing. In short, Kansas workers and Kansas political leaders were central to the Air Force’s decision to select Boeing over EADS. To remove Kansas from the tanker project not only violates a public trust, but it creates risk to taxpayers and to our fighting forces.“Boeing is a part of the community fabric in Kansas. Indeed, Kansas and Boeing are family. To potentially leave our state now, under a cloud of broken promises, is beneath the dignity of this proud company. I respect Boeing’s right to run its business as it sees fit, but that freedom does not extend to violating long-standing promises and obligations that arise from those commitments. I urge the company’s leaders to do all that they can to honor the Boeing name and to take all steps available to do right by the hard-working, talented people who build the world’s greatest airplanes here in Kansas,” stated Congressman Mike Pompeo.