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 Wichita, Kan., facility, while partnering with Wichita State University on its initiative to build a $45 million, 35,000-square-foot aerospace training facility.
“All of this helps us prepare for what lies ahead as we prepare for higher production rates and deliver safe, high-quality airplanes to our customers,” Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in the May announcement.
No details on what will be built or renovated have yet been announced.
On June 9, the Wichita City Council approved $450 million in industrial bonds to lower business property taxes and support the construction of new buildings. The Sedgwick County Board is also considering $100 million in bonds that would allow 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 Wichita operation builds major structures for each 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, an airframe and aerostructure supplier. 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 education and hands-on instruction in a production environment. No contractor has yet been appointed for the project.
“This is being designed and built just for Boeing’s processes and procedures,” said Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech, which will provide the facilities and training while Boeing provides the curriculum.
The training center is planned near campus and will feature classrooms, specialized training labs, and employee testing and evaluation areas. It will have the capacity to support thousands of students annually, the university says.
The center is expected to be operational 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 to Boeing, the $45 million National Center for Aviation Training, which aims to prepare workers for careers in aviation, automation and advanced manufacturing.
Designed by TESSERE and built by Crossland Construction Co., the new 85,500-square-foot facility and a professional pilot training hangar are expected to contain classrooms, hands-on labs and high-tech training spaces.
Construction began in August 2025 and classes will begin in January.
When completed, the expansion would serve an additional 1,450 students over the first three years. New and improved training areas are planned to provide space for training in advanced air mobility, drone automation and operation, professional pilot training and aviation maintenance technology at the high school level.
The facility will also serve as a hub for industry partners to train and upgrade their existing workforce and improve readiness, according to the university.
