Tagged: aviation

Hawker Beechcraft says its total number of Kansas employees has fallen below the level required to receive the full state and local government incentives.

The aircraft manufacturer had 3,372 employees as of December 31st. The company was granted $45 million in incentives back in 2010 in exchange for committing to keep 4,000  people employed in Kansas for 10 years.

The Kansas Governor's Council of Economic Advisors met in Wichita Tuesday to discuss ways of increasing revenue and the global competitiveness of the aviation industry.

Governor Sam Brownback, state and local officials and several leaders in the aircraft industry discussed ideas for more than two and a half hours at Spirit Aerosystems.

John Tomblin, Executive Director of the National Institute for Aviation Research (NAIR) was one of the speakers who touted the number of quality engineers that are trained in Wichita.

Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers approved a five-year contract deal with Bombardier Learjet in Wichita over the weekend.

Machinists Union spokesman Bob Wood said people will be returning to work at the Wichita plan Monday. Wood described Saturday's offering as a "substantial improvement" over the proposal that prompted the October 8 walkout.

European airplane maker Airbus Monday announced plans to double investments in the US at the first Air Capital Supplier Summit in Wichita.

Senator Jerry Moran and Airbus Americas Chairman Allan McArtor hosted the event.

Moran says the partnership between Airbus and Kansas suppliers is aimed at growing the aviation industry in the state through more contracts with the France-based aircraft maker.

Airbus has an engineering center here in Wichita with more than 350 employees, making the Wichita facility the company’s largest engineering center outside of Europe.