Boeing

The end of the competition for the right to build new air refueling jets for the U.S. Air Force may be near. Boeing posted new information on the website it has dedicated to the tanker. The company says members of the tanker team met with Air Force officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Boeing says it was the last chance for feedback on its proposal before the end of the competition. Boeing will now make final adjustments to its bid. It will present its final offer to the Air Force February 11. Boeing says it's focused on providing the most capable tanker at the lowest cost to taxpayers.

Deliveries for Boeing's commercial airplane division are down in the second quarter over the same time last year. Thursday Boeing reported delivering 114 commercial airplanes in the second quarter of 2010. They delivered 125 during the same quarter last year. For the first half of this year, Boeing delivered 222 commercial airplanes. The company delivered 246 in the first half of 2009. Most of this quarters deliveries are for Boeing's 737, with 95 deliveries in the second quarter, followed by the 777, with 16, and then the 767, with three deliveries.

There are lots of questions but not many answers, and overall, a disappointing meeting. That's how the head of the engineer's union describes about a meeting Thursday with Boeing officials over the future of the Wichita plant. Boeing announced in November it is assessing the facility, and there's a possibility it will close, despite the promise to add jobs if Boeing won the Air Force tanker contract. SPEEA President, Bob Brewer told Eyewitness News, he got no indication what Boeing plans to do. The company told him it's strictly a business decision and no reflection on the work done in Wichita.

All over Wichita, news that Boeing was closing its plan was disappointing. People wanted to know, how can a company that's been here 80 years just leave after promising thousands of jobs.  That question brought the CBS Evening News to Wichita. Reporter Jim Axelrod told a national audience how Wichita and Kansas fought for the Air Force tanker deal, only to be left disappointed.  He spoke with Mayor Carl Brewer who says he's still waiting on a specific answer to why Boeing is leaving.  Boeing plans to shut down in 2013, taking 2,100 jobs with it.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Boeing is considering bailing out of a politically charged competition for a $35 billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force. The planemaker may pull out if it doesn't get an additional four months from the Pentagon to assemble its offer. Boeing said today it also may file a protest on the final bids request -- expected to be released early next week by the Pentagon -- which could further delay an award. The company said no final decision will be made until Boeing has a chance to review the final bids request.

Boeing still waits to hear the government's final guidelines for the $35 billion tanker deal. The Pentagon was expected to announce its final Request for Proposal Tuesday, but Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt's office tells us the Department of Defense has postponed today's news conference. The final RFP will explain specifics on what the government is looking for in its tanker. In the meantime, Boeing is asking for more time to revise its proposal.  The planemaker says it needs four more months.

Boeing 's history in Wichita dates back to the Stearman Aircraft Company in the 1920's. Airbus' hasn't been in the Air Capital that long, but it's presence may soon grow. Within hours of Boeing announcing plans to close its Wichita facility by the end of 2013, Mayor Carl Brewer says the city was already in contact with European plane-maker Airbus about expanding its local footprint. Airbus already has an engineering office in Wichita. Approximately 200 engineers work on the A380 and other long-range jets.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Kansas lawmakers say they hope Boeing files a protest against the Air Force decision to award a massive tanker contract to a consortium of Northrop Grumman and the European parent of Airbus. Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts say Congress could withhold funding for the deal if concerns aren't addressed. The Kansas Republicans claim the Air Force should have considered subsidies European governments give to foreign aerospace companies that put U.S. contractors at a disadvantage.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Boeing Co. delivered just five commercial airplanes in October, when the company's commercial aircraft factories were closed amid a strike by union workers. The Chicago-based aerospace firm posted the figure on its Web site Thursday. Boeing delivered 12 airplanes in September and 36 per month in August and July. The eight-week strike by 27,000 workers in Washington state, Oregon and Kansas ended Saturday after the Machinists union ratified a new contract with the company.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Boeing Co. says it will formally protest a $35 billion Air Force tanker award it lost. European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. won the high-stakes deal to replace 179 air-to-air refueling tankers. The award is the first of three major Air Force contracts to replace its entire fleet of nearly 600 aging tankers over the next 30 years. Chicago-based Boeing says it will file its protest on Tuesday with the Goverment Accountability Office.

Some Wichita residents commute to Moore Oklahoma to work at the Boeing plant in town.  A spokesperson tells us no one was hurt after a major tornado moved through Monday afternoon. The tornado was on the ground for 40 minutes.  When the sirens went off, all employees took cover.  The plant didn't suffer any damage.  The spokesperson says the tornado broke up right before it hit the plant. All employees have been released to go home and check on their families.  There are 100 Boeing employees living in Moore.  The company did not have a break down of how many are from the Wichita area.

The first week of April, voters will be casting ballots for Wichita Board of Education. In preparation Wednesday, nearly a hundred high school students met with candidates. The students included members of the superintendent's Student Advisory Council and others recommended by their school's principal. Those students had the chance to ask questions directly of those wanting to serve on the board. John Castellaw, South High senior, said he liked that students were able to ask the questions.

A Japanese airway reported problems months before battery failures grounded Boeing Dreamliner jets, according to the New York Times. All Nippon Airways said 10 lithium-ion batteries were replaced months before multiple problems questioned their reliability. All the events occurred from May to December of last year. The airline reported the problems to Boeing, but was not required to tell safety regulators. The National Transportation Safety Board is now focusing their investigation on the battery problems.

Flipping through the television stations in the Wichita area, you may have seen the commercial.  The creator didn't supply us with a copy.  But the script resembles what's on these two homebuilder association websites... reasons why you should consider moving to Moore, Oklahoma.  It's a short drive to Boeing.  And, “If you're Feeling a little homesick? The Warren Theater and IMAX will make you feel more "at home". " The City of Moore says it has received phone calls about the ad, suggesting it's insensitive to Wichita's loss of Boeing.  But the city had nothing to do with the commercial and it has been trying to find out who's behind it. "The concern is that people are out promoting on our behalf.  And you certainly want to make sure, first of all, the message is accurate,” Deidre Ebrey, Moore's Director of Economic Development, said.

The 787 Dreamliner is Boeing's newest and most technologically advanced aircraft. It may also be its most vulnerable. Experts at the University of Cambridge in Great Brtiain have discovered what they say is a "back door" in a computer chip. The experts say that opening could lead to a cyber-attack. The expert's findings were published in the Guardian newspaper . Researchers Sergei Skorobogatov of Cambridge and Chris Woods of Quo Vadis Labs say they have discovered a method of accessing the chip.

The Boeing KC-46 Tanker program has completed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) with the U.S. Air Force. Boeing says the review demonstrated the preliminary design of the KC-46A Tanker meets system requirements and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design. Boeing plans to deliver 18 combat-ready KC-46A Tankers to the U.S. government by 2017. "I'm happy with Boeing's performance. They're maintaining a very tight focus on meeting commitments and staying on or ahead of schedule.

Boeing  suspend operations will continued through Tuesday, April 17.  Operations will resume on Wednesday, April 18. All employees should report at normal start times on Wednesday.   Access may be limited through the Building 190Z parking lot. Photos of Storm Shots Boeing Employees are asked to continue checking the Boeing Employee Emergency Information Hot-line at 1-800-899-6431 or visit the company's emergency website for updates. Boeing hasn't released specific information about tornado damage, but it did damage one building.  No one was injured on site during the storm.

Members of Boeing's engineering union overwhelmingly approves a new contract.  It passed 111-2. Boeing announced late last year that it will close its Wichita facility by the end of the 2013. Today, members of SPEEA will voted on a the new contract that prepares them for some of the upcoming changes. The contract will be extended by two years- ending in 2015. If offered a transfer to another boeing facility, union members would get three weeks to consider the offer.

The Machinists union has started talks with Boeing about the future of Wichita's hourly workers as Boeing closes its facilities. The Discussions includes dates of closure, relocation of packages, medical coverage and pension. Union officials say they would like to see their represented employees moved to another Boeing site, that is, if they are willing to move.  The work that had been done in Wichita will be moved to Oklahoma City and San Antonio. A tanker refinishing plant that was slated for the Air-Capital will be built in the Puget Sound area of Washington.  The union represents just over 15-percent of Boeing Wichita's 2,100 employees.

Wichita Board of Education members and Superintendent John Allison will spend part of today touring the new schools under construction today. The board will get a progress report on the schools which are set to open next fall.   They will tour the new high school under construction at 5550 N. Lycee and the new suggested elementary school at 5226 N. Woodlawn. Eyewitness News will follow the tour, look for more coming up later today on Eyewitness News and here at www.kwch.com.