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European aircraft maker Airbus steps up spending in Southern California

By W.J. Hennigan
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Airbus expects the A350 XWB to have its first flight in early 2012. Credit: Airbus
European aerospace giant Airbus announced at Los Angeles City Hall today that it awarded a $10-million contract to a Harbor City company to manufacture lipskins for its jet engines.

McStarlite Co. produces the donut-shaped skin that goes on the front of an airplane engine. The company has made sheet metal components for Airbus aircraft for about 20 years. With the latest contract, McStarlite will manufacture the lipskin for the upcoming Airbus A350 XWB.

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As a result of the deal, McStarlite expects to add up to 40 new jobs, beginning in late 2010. The business currently employs about 120 people.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also took part in the announcement and thanked Airbus for its investment in California. From 2007 to 2008, Airbus said its spending in the state doubled to about $1 billion.

“Airbus has proven to be a strong business partner with more than 100 suppliers throughout California,” Villaraigosa said. “By doubling its direct economic investment, Airbus’ commitment to the region is commendable and helps ensure that the aerospace industry remains a strong economic engine here in Southern California where it began.”

-- W.J. Hennigan

Money & Company
W.J. Hennigan

W.J. Hennigan covered the Pentagon and national security issues from Washington, D.C., before leaving the Los Angeles Times bureau in November 2017. While there, he reported on war, counter-terrorism, and the lives of American service members from more than two dozen countries and previously covered the aerospace and defense industry from Los Angeles. Hennigan earned awards from the National Press Club, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, and was a contributor to the Los Angeles Times coverage of the terror attacks in San Bernardino that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2016.

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