Aerospace
Boeing Plans $1B Investment in New Buildings and Renovations in Wichita, Kan.
Global aerospace manufacturer said new facilities would address an airplane backlog
WSU Tech is expanding the National Center for Aviation Training that would train workers to gain jobs at Boeing's expanded operation in Wichita and elsewhere.
Global aerospace manufacturer The Boeing Co. plans to invest $1 billion over three years to construct new buildings, upgrade facilities, expand employee training and strengthen production systems at its facilities in Wichita, Kan., while also partnering with Wichita State University on its initiative to build a 35,000-sq-ft, $45-million aerospace training facility.
“All of this helps us get ready for what’s ahead as we prepare for higher production rates and deliver safe, high-quality airplanes to our customers,” said Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg at the May announcement.
No specifics of what will be built or renovated have yet been announced.
On June 9, the Wichita City Council approved $450 million in industrial bonds to abate the company’s property taxes and support construction of new buildings. The Sedgwick County Board also is considering $100 million in bonds that would enable Boeing to pay nothing in county property taxes for new buildings and improvements over the next 10 years.
Boeing has an order backlog of more than 6,100 airplanes, and its operation in Wichita builds major structures for every one of the manufacturer's commercial airplanes, the university notes.
The company's sprawling campus in southeast Wichita was originally its own facility before it was sold and eventually became Spirit Aerosystems, a supplier of fuselages and aerostructures. Boeing acquired Spirit Aerosystems in December 2025.
Boeing is working with WSU Tech to build the Boeing Workforce Training Center, a new facility to develop and train an aerospace workforce through classroom teaching and hands-on instruction in a production environment. A contractor has not yet been named for the project.
“This is being designed and built only for Boeing processes and procedures,” said Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech, which will provide the facility and training while Boeing provides the curriculum.
The training center is planned near the campus and will feature classrooms, specialized training labs and employee testing and assessment areas. It will have the capacity to support thousands of trainees annually, the university says.
The center is expected to operate by the end of 2026 and future expansion opportunities will be assessed in spring 2027.
WSU Tech is already working on another training center not directly connected with Boeing, the $45-million National Center for Aviation Training, which is intended to prepare workers for careers in aviation, automation and advanced manufacturing.
Designed by TESSERE and being built by Crossland Construction Co., the new 85,500-sq-ft facility and professional pilot training hangar is planned to contain classrooms, hands-on labs and high-tech training spaces.
Construction began in August 2025, with classes set to start in January.
When complete, the expansion would serve an additional 1,450 students within the first three years. New and enhanced training areas are planned to provide space for instruction in advanced air mobility, drone automation and operation, professional pilot training and high school-level aviation maintenance technology.
The facility will also function as a hub for industry partners to train and upskill their existing workforce and to enhance readiness, the university says.
