Brown Joins White House, GE Aviation to Announce $6.8 Billion GE Aviation Sale to Qatar Airways

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined GE Aviation and Boeing at the White House to announce the company's sale of fifteen Boeing 777X freighters, made in America by union Machinists and with GE Aviation engines developed in Ohio, to Qatar Airways. The deal builds on this month's Intel announcement of 10,000 advanced manufacturing jobs coming to Ohio. It will support GE Aviation workers in the Cincinnati area and more than 12,500 workers nationwide, and allow GE to innovate and invest in their production and workers. The total value of the order with GE is more than $6.8 billion.

"The world is beginning to see what we've always known -- that Ohio workers are the best at what they do, and that the future of advanced manufacturing is in our state," said Brown. "GE Aviation has been driving that innovation and growth for years, building on Ohio's rich aviation heritage. They're such an asset to Ohio, and this deal is a huge win for the Ohio workers who are part of GE."

Brown was joined at the White House by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, GE Aviation CEO John Slattery, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) President Matthew Biggs, and IAM District 751 President and Directing Business Representative Jon Holden. The sale will support GE Aviation workers in the Cincinnati area and more than 12,500 workers nationwide, and allow GE to innovate and invest in their production and workers.

"Ohio has played an important role in the development and testing of the GE9X engine with a talented workforce located in this region," said GE Aviation CEO John Slattery. "GE Aviation has great history and proven track record of powering freighter aircraft. Today's launch of the Boeing 777-8 Freighter is great news for the GE9X program and all involved."

"This achievement advances President Biden's clear commitment to creating good union jobs and encouraging American manufacturing," said International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) President Matthew Biggs. "It is a success story that is made possible by unionized aerospace workers, by our nation's investment in the skills and education our workforce needs, and by government support to level the playing field for U.S.-based manufacturers that sell goods to the world."

"The IAM represents tens of thousands of members in the aerospace industry who welcome this long-term investment," said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. "This investment, championed by the administration, signals an understanding of the impact of one of our nation's most vital manufacturing sectors. Today's announcement gives hope to so many communities that will benefit from the good union jobs this investment will create."

Brown has been a leader on innovative legislation to modernize aviation as well as securing investment in advanced manufacturing.

These planes will be compatible with new sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), whose development in Ohio Brown has championed. Last year, Brown introduced the Sustainable Skies Act, to support the growth of the SAF industry in Ohio and capture more of the jet fuel market, as airlines work to cut aviation's carbon emissions in half, by offering a tax credit for sustainable-aviation fuel used in place of traditional jet fuel. Fuel would qualify if it creates at least 50 percent fewer emissions than traditional airplane fuel.

In order to bring more investment into domestic manufacturing, Brown has urged the House to quickly pass America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act of 2022, the House version of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). Following swift passage of the House's America COMPETES Act, both chambers will negotiate a final bill and send it to the president's desk to be signed into law.

The Innovation and Competition Act includes Brown's bill that builds on the success of his bipartisan 2014 legislation, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act, which created a network of 15 manufacturing innovation hubs around the country. This network was modeled after the first manufacturing institute, "America Makes," in Youngstown, which President Obama directed the Department of Defense to create in 2012. This effort was one of the biggest steps the U.S. had taken to make our manufacturing industry more competitive. America Makes is the nation's leading public-private partnership for additive manufacturing - also called 3D printing - technology and education. Founded in 2012 as the first institute of the Manufacturing USA Network, America Makes brings together members from industry, academia, government, workforce and economic development organizations and is managed by the not-for-profit National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining.

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