Mobile Watched 2008 Tanker Competition as Boeing Weighed Its Next Step
Archived WKRG coverage examined Boeing's response to reports about its future in the 2008 tanker competition closely watched in Mobile.
Lost in Translation: What the EADS Chief Really Said About Building in Mobile
A newspaper interview in August 2008 seemed to say EADS would build commercial aircraft in Mobile whether or not it won the Air Force tanker contract. The company said that…
Federal Watchdog Finds ‘Significant’ Errors in Air Force Tanker Bid Scoring, Clouding Mobile Assembly Plant Plans
The GAO found the Air Force made significant math errors in scoring a $35 billion tanker contract, casting new doubt on plans for an aircraft assembly plant at Brookley Field…
Air Force Concedes Cost-Estimate Error That Had Favored Boeing in Tanker Fight
The U.S. Air Force admitted a cost-calculation error that had favored Boeing in the tanker contract evaluation, adding a new twist to a dispute with direct stakes for a proposed…
Facebook Group Rallies Support for Northrop Grumman Tanker Bid in Mobile
As Boeing protested the Air Force's tanker contract award, Mobile-area supporters of the rival Northrop Grumman/EADS bid organized a Facebook group urging residents to weigh in through a congressional survey.
Shelby Defends Mobile’s Tanker Win in Financial Times Op-Ed as Boeing Backers Pile On
Sen. Richard Shelby used a Financial Times op-ed to defend the Air Force's tanker contract award to a Northrop Grumman-EADS team, arguing the deal would bring thousands of jobs to…
Mobile Realtor’s Open Letter Pushes Back on Obama’s Early Doubts About the Tanker Deal
A Mobile-area Realtor has written an open letter to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, pushing back on the presidential candidate’s early skepticism about the Air Force’s decision to award a massive…
Boeing Protest Expected as Mobile Basks in Airbus Tanker Win, ThyssenKrupp Plant Adds to Momentum
After Northrop Grumman and EADS won the 2008 Air Force tanker contract, Mobile officials described expected long-term change and construction planning.
GOP Circles Buzz Over Possible Bonner Run for Governor in 2010, But Congressman Downplays Talk
Republican circles are speculating that Rep. Jo Bonner could be eyeing a 2010 run for Alabama governor after his new House Appropriations Committee assignment, though Bonner says his focus is…
Behind Mobile’s Excitement Over the New Airplane Plant, a Familiar History of Waiting for Saviors
As Mobile celebrates a major new aerospace plant, some longtime observers are urging caution, pointing to a long history of the city pinning its hopes on outside projects — from…