MUKILTEO, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Chris Gregoire and Sen. Patty Murray say an estimated 11,000 jobs in Washington will be saved or created if Boeing wins the Air Force contract to build the next generation of refueling tankers.
They appeared with union and Everett-area officials Monday at Mukilteo to reinforce Boeing’s bid.
The order for 179 planes worth $35 billion would extend the life of the Boeing 767 line at the factory in Everett and would likely lead to more orders for the air-refueling plane.
Boeing is competing with Airbus-maker EADS. The Pentagon plans to award the contract in August.
The Pentagon has been trying for seven years to start the process to replace Boeing KC135 tankers that date from the 1950s.
