Boeing, U.S. senator emphasize importance of thermoplastic composites in Senate Commerce hearing

In testimony before the Senate Commerce Commitee, Boeing CEO Kelly
Ortberg has affirmed the critical role of thermoplastic composites (TPC) in the future of aviation manufacturing, citing them as a “major and important technology area we should be investing in.” In response to questioning from committee ranking member senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ortberg
emphasized that TPC offer a “huge advantage” and will “streamline the production of aircraft,” helping to drive innovation and job creation across the aerospace sector.

Senator Cantwell’s persistent focus on workforce development, advanced materials and strategic technology investments drew strong praise from Ortberg, who acknowledged the importance of the senator’s leadership and the foundational work of the AAMMC Tech Hub (learn more here).

As global demand for aircraft surges — projected at 40,000 new planes worldwide — Senator Cantwell underscored the stakes of investing in next-generation manufacturing capabilities. “If we neglect [thermoplastic composites], we could fall behind as a nation,” she warned, noting the opportunity to impact more than two million workers in the aviation industry. Ortberg echoed the urgency, saying that while the U.S. may be
trailing international competitors such as Europe, “we’re not behind in a way that we can’t recover.”

The hearing highlighted the transformative potential of TPC to replace traditional metal parts in aircraft, introducing a fundamentally different manufacturing process that will require reskilling and expansion of the domestic aerospace workforce. “We’ll have to train a whole different kind of
application, a different workforce to use TPC,” Ortberg stated. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

This moment marks another key milestone in the growing recognition of the AAMMC Tech Hub’s mission and Senator Cantwell’s determined advocacy for U.S. innovation, safety and competitiveness in aviation. The AAMMC Tech Hub is a test bed and training center to develop cutting-edge technologies and equip a pipeline of aerospace engineers and technicians to lead in advanced aerospace materials.