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For Immediate Release |
Contact: Ken Miller |
Congresswoman Laura Richardson Encouraged That 5,000 Boeing Jobs Will Be Preserved By India Agreement to Purchase C-17 Aircraft |
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WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Laura Richardson extended heartfelt congratulations to the Boeing Company and its 5,000 employees at the Long Beach plant following the announcement by President Obama which indicated a preliminary agreement for India to purchase ten C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft had been reached. “I am extremely encouraged by the purchase of these 10 aircraft to India and the possibility of six more to follow. This agreement will preserve employment positions that are critical to the economic growth in the 37th District. More important is that 5,000 families will continue to keep a roof over their head, food on their tables and contribute to the community businesses where they live,” Congresswoman Richardson said. The purchase of these vital cargo airplanes will help secure the direct and indirect jobs of thousands of people who work at the Long Beach facility and in the neighboring community. The sale is worth approximately $4.1 billion, all of which is U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 22,160 jobs. “This sale will help keep our facilities open and thus maintain our ability to produce future aircraft for our own military. The Air Force relies on the C-17 to assist U.S. troops and our allies abroad in transporting and delivering the people and supplies when and where they are needed most,” added Congresswoman Richardson. The purchase of the ten C-17s is in addition to ten approved by Congress and signed into law by President Obama earlier this year. Additional foreign sales include six sold to the UAE, three sold to Qatar, seven planes to the UK Royal Air Force, four planes to the Canadian Forces, and four planes to the Royal Australian Air Force. There are currently 212 C-17 planes in worldwide service, with 193 of those belonging to the United States. ### |
