Airbus Looking To Add Jobs In Wichita

From KAKE News

UPDATE: Tueday, June 19, 2012

The world’s largest airplane maker says it will soon expand its presence in Wichita. On Tuesday, Airbus announced plans to bring more jobs to its Old Town engineering center. Company leader say that expansion will helpcreate more jobs for local parts makers.

Airbus Americas Chairman Allan McArtor says Airbus will grow its supply chain in Wichita. He says the company plans to meet with Kansas aviation suppliers. Senator Jerry Moran’s office will co-host a supplier summit in August at the National Center for Aviation Training.

“We’re fully committed to Kansas. We’re fully committed to Wichita. We’re going to grow there,” said McArtor.

Don McGinty, owner of McGinty Machine Company, says he feels better already about his own expansion plans after the Airbus announcement. Machine shops like McGinty’s sub-contract parts for Airbus planes for Spirit AeroSystems. McGinty looks forward to the chance to make more parts for Airbus planes as it expands locally.

“We have a great ability and chance to expand the aviation market here,” said McGinty.

McGinty figures he’ll need to almost double the number of employees he now has in two years. At a time when the economy isn’t creating jobs fast enough, he says he sees a shortage of skilled aviation workers.

“You’d think there’d be a ton of people out there. There’s not,” he said.

UPDATE: Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The World’s largest plane maker is wanting to expand in the Air Capital.

Allan McArtor, Airbus Americas Chairman, said Tuesday there are immediate plans to hire 60 engineers to work at the Old Town facility.

“Ten years ago, Airbus built its first U.S.-based engineering center in Wichita because the talent pool of aerospace and aviation experts in Wichita and Kansas was amongst the richest in the world,” McArtor said. “We hope to tap into that talent and the manycompanies based in Kansas who house it.”

McArtor said Airbus also wants to increase the number of Kansas suppliers to build components for their planes.

Airbus will be holding a suppliers conference at the National Center for Aviation Training Center Aug. 6.