Business leaders in Wichita’s aviation industry, along with state and city economic development officials, will be in England this week for the Farborough International Airshow.
The airshow, which begins today and runs through Friday, is considered the world’s largest. More than 75 of the world’s top 100 aerospace companies will attend the show, which is held every two years.
In 2016, more than $124 billion in airplane orders and commitments were announced at Farnborough.
The Kansas Department of Commerce and the Greater Wichita Partnership will host a booth that will showcase local businesses and the state’s aviation industry.
“Farnborough … provides the platform to market our State and attract aviation investment,” Robert North, interim secretary of the Department of Commerce, said in a statement. “We must proactively and aggressively promote the opportunities in Kansas globally at events like Farnborough.”
Wichita businesses that will be part of the booth include C.E. Machine Co.; Cox Machine; Etezazi Industries; Harlow Aerostructures; Lee Aerospace; Metal Finishing Co.; Omni Aerospace, and TECT Aerospace.
The Kansas delegation also will promote the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University and the National Center for Aviation Training run by WSU Tech.
Spirit AeroSystems, the state’s largest private employer, also will have a presence at Farnborough. The company said it would meet with customers, suppliers and potential customers from around the world.
"The Farnborough Air Show gives us an opportunity to showcase Spirit's unique and industry-leading capabilities on one of the largest stages in the aviation industry," Spirit President and CEO Tom Gentile said in a news release.
Spirit is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures. It is Boeing’s largest supplier but also does work for other commercial and defense customers.
Tom Shine is director of news and public affairs at KMUW. Follow him @thomaspshine.
