SEATTLE, 30 Aug. 2012. Providers of avionics, aircraft parts, and related equipment in Washington state are likely to benefit from U.S.-based Airbus A320 final assembly line, says an industry pundit.
News that Airbus, the renowned aircraft manufacturingsubsidiary of EADS, is opening its first jetliner final assembly facility in the U.S. may bring more aerospace business to Washington state, the birthplace of Boeing. Washington's economy will benefit from an uptick in demand for all the parts and equipment needed to build next-generation aircraft, according to an op-ed piece in The Seattle Times by Nancy L. McLernon.
The Airbus plant in Mobile, Ala., will “create new opportunities for aerospace suppliers in Washington state, who, until now, had one major customer: Boeing,” McLernon writes.
“This announcement serves as a stirring reminder of the vital role foreign direct investment plays in the American economy,” McLernon adds. “When foreign companies invest in the United States, they create new jobs and boost compensation for American workers. These firms play an absolutely essential role in keeping our economy humming.
McLernon continues: “Washington state, for instance, has a particularly vibrant aerospace sector that will benefit. It's home to some 740 qualified suppliers that create the individual components needed to make these massive planes.
“Now that Airbus is opening a U.S. plant, Washington's economy will benefit from an uptick in demand for all the parts and equipment needed to build next-generation aircraft.
Read the full article at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2018987383_guestnancymclernonxml.html?cmpid=2628
Nancy L. McLernon is president and chief executive of the Organization for International Investment (www.ofii.org), an association representing the U.S. operations of global companies.
