Officials react to EADS' loss

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Sen. Richard Shelby's reaction to Boeing winning the tanker contract:

“I’m disappointed but not surprised. Only Chicago politics could tip the scales in favor of Boeing’s inferior plane. EADS clearly offers the more capable aircraft. If this decision stands, our warfighters will not get the superior equipment they deserve.”

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) made the following comments regarding the competition to build the next air refueling tanker for the U.S. Air Force:

“I am deeply disappointed that the EADS team was not selected to build the next air refueling tanker for the Air Force. Three years ago, EADS won this competition because their aircraft had objectively superior capabilities and offered dramatic savings for the taxpayer. In light of today’s result, I intend to examine the process carefully to ensure it was fairly conducted.

“Regardless of today’s unfortunate outcome, the EADS team’s decision to manufacture the aircraft in Mobile was a clear affirmation by a world-class corporation of our state’s remarkable workforce. EADS would not have chosen Alabama if they did not firmly believe that our state was a great place to do business in the global economy. I look forward to assisting them in expanding their presence in Alabama.”

Congressman Jo Bonner, R-Alabama, issued the following statement in response to the selection of Boeing as the contractor for the U.S. Air Force Tanker program:

“After having already won the competition three years ago and having brought to the table the best refueling aircraft for our military, it’s deeply disappointing that Mobile and the Gulf Coast were not chosen as the home of the new Air Force tanker. Unfortunately, the best tanker for our military was not selected. I intend to demand a full accounting as to why.

“While there was great optimism that our team would ultimately prevail, we’ve also been conditioned to expect the unexpected. This competition has been challenged before and it’s not unlikely it will be challenged again.

“It will ultimately be up to EADS to determine whether they will protest this decision and I will fully support whatever decision they make.”

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Alabama has lost its bid to become home of a plant that will build aircraft refueling tankers for the Air Force.

The Pentagon is awarding a $35 billion contract for the work to the Boeing Co. rather than the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., which planned to assemble the tankers in Mobile.

Gov. Robert Bentley and other leaders gathered in Mobile for the announcement describe the decision as a sad day for Alabama.

A crowd, gathered to watch the Pentagon announce its decision, fell silent at news of the decision.

The contract initially went to EADS and Northrop, but Boeing protested and the work was rebid. Alabama officials pushed for the work to come to Mobile since the contract would have meant thousands of jobs.

Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood said when one door closes, another one opens.

"I truly believe that. We are very fortunate, very blessed. We announced last month that 2,000 jobs with Austal, and we are disappointed. We really wanted this. I think one of the things I'm most proud of is that we have acted with integrity throughout this process. You know, things have been said about people in Alabama, our intelligence has been questioned, but we never responded unkind. We always took the high road, and that's what i expected us to do," she said.

Leaders in  Pensacola were also disappointed in the announcement.

"We're all disappointed here. We had a great turnout here. We certainly were hoping for the best, uh, Mobile had one this contract once and we certainly thought it was going to be this time. Obviously, we're over in Pensacola but if Mobile got this, and we're good neighbors and it would help the whole area, so we're very disappointed. We can't go into the decisions the Air Force made or what they did it for, but we certainly had our fingers crossed, we thought we were going to pull it off for the second time, and obviously they didn't go with us," said Collier Merrill, chairman for the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce.