WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Dozens of Kansas aviation companies are getting federal funds to protect thousands of area jobs as the coronavirus pandemic continues. In exchange, the companies cannot lay off workers or cut pay.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) says the jobs-saving program, Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection (AMJP), is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s American Rescue Plan. DOT says it will offer $482.3 million to 313 aviation businesses under the program.

DOT contacted potentially eligible businesses about the application process and the eligibility rules established by Congress. A lot of Kansas companies applied and are in the first group of recipients, including Spirit Aerosystems which is getting more than $75 million. In total, Kansas companies are getting about $100.5 million to save 4,284 jobs.

Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection (AMJP) program first round winners:

Name Maximum Public Contribution Estimated Jobs Protected
AEROSPACE SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS INC $438,340 29
AIR CAPITAL NDI LLC $26,850 1
APEX ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL L.L.C. $684,570 40
B & B AIRPARTS INC. $526,599 43
C.E. MACHINE COMPANY INC. $510,159 29
COX MACHINE INC. $994,371 60
DYNAMIC NC. LLC $625,000 36
FIBER DYNAMICS INC $237,820 17
GLOBAL AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES LLC $249,717 12
GODDARD MACHINE LLC $37,960 3
H. M. DUNN COMPANY INC. $800,871 45
INTEGRATED COMPONENTS INC. $62,834 3
KELLY MANUFACTURING COMPANY $49,440 3
KMI INC $160,154 8
LEARJET INC $15,008,931 502
LEE AEROSPACE INC. $728,106 42
MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT INC $448,316 16
MAX AEROSTRUCTURES LLC $431,165 20
METAL ARTS MACHINE LLC $135,666 11
MID CONTINENT INSTRUMENT CO. INC. $1,151,296 49
MILLENNIUM MACHINE & TOOL INC. $247,607 16
NWI WICHITA LLC $371,832 24
OMNI AEROSPACE INC $329,121 17
RICKMAN MACHINE CO. INC. $43,594 2
SINCLAIR & SONS CUSTOM WELDING & MACHINING SERVICE INC $96,481 5
SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS HOLDINGS INC $75,519,418 3,214
TRINITY PRECISION INC $296,986 21
UNITED MACHINE COMPANY INC $166,353 12
WINGLET TECHNOLOGY LLC $70,902 2
WKCSC INC. DBA KANSAS COIL SPRING CO. $21,439 2
TOTAL: $100,471,898 4,284
(Source: Transportation.gov)

To see the full list of first-round fund recipients, click here. DOT will announce an additional round of funding recipients later this fall.

Companies can use the money to pay up to half the payroll costs for certain categories of employees engaged in manufacturing or repair, for up to six months. In return, the business must make several commitments, including not to involuntarily furlough, lay off, or cut pay or benefits within that group during the time the business is receiving AMJP payroll support.

According to DOT, before the pandemic, the aerospace industry employed approximately 2.2 million workers, including 1.2 million who worked in various parts of the supply chain. It says more than 100,000 jobs in the aerospace industry have been lost since the start of the pandemic, and hundreds of thousands more are at risk.

Courtesy of from KSNT