Aerospace in Tulsa Surges

After following the rest of the economy into a recession the last two years, the aerospace industry is beginning cyclical upturns in employment, production and orders, industry executives said.

And a healthy aerospace industry provides an economic boost to Oklahoma where the industry is responsible for 144,000 direct and indirect jobs, $12.4 billion in annual economic output and a payroll of $5 billion, state figures show.

In Tulsa, the resurgence is evident in job growth: Since Jan. 1, American Airlines, Bizjet International, NORDAM Group and Spirit AeroSystems have hired more than 1,500 workers.

"Aviation is coming back," said Brian Barber, spokesman for Bizjet, which has hired 89 people in the last year. "It's not there yet, but it's on the upswing."

The trend is most visible at NORDAM, the manufacturer and maintenance, repair and overhaul company with contracts in the commercial, military and business aircraft markets.

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