Part of Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget proposal, released Wednesday, is additional funding for aviation training and research.
The proposal includes a $5 million funding increase for the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University. The National Center for Aviation would receive an additional $1.7 million.
Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer said Wednesday that the aviation industry is critically important for the state's economy.
“We just had Spirit AeroSystems announce an additional thousand jobs," he said. "And there are thousands of other jobs that can come forward here. Aviation is an important cluster.”
On Twitter, WSU President John Bardo said he supports the initiative, saying it will "ultimately enhance our state's global competitiveness."