A $4 billion order from India for 10 C-17 jets is cause for excitement at the Boeing plant where the giant cargo planes are assembled in Long Beach.
A plant spokesman and labor leader said Monday they expect the order to save jobs and extend the plant's life.
Boeing is the largest employer in Long Beach.
But the impact of the C-17 extends far beyond city borders.
Boeing spokesman Jerry Drelling says it is estimated that manufacture of the plane has a $5.8 billion annual economic impact and there are about 25,000 workers in 44 states whose jobs depend on the plane.
Before India, he says the last of the plant's current orders would have been delivered in December of 2012.
Copyright The Associated Press
