It’s a question that comes around about every 10 years — usually coinciding with a downturn in the nation’s economy: Is Wichita, the air capital of the U.S., destined to become the next Detroit?

Absolutely not, say the top executives at the airplane manufacturers based in the city.

One reason is because the Big Three automakers never thought their competitors were a threat, said David Coleal, vice president and general manager of Bombardier’s Learjet product line, who at one time worked in the auto industry.

“In aviation, we’re very aware of our competitors, both locally and internationally,” he said during the Wichita Aero Club’s first online summit earlier this week. “We’re very focused on our customers and on product development. It is not a similar situation to Detroit.”

Another big difference is the “resilient” workforce in Wichita, said Jack Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna. “These employees care about the company and their co-workers,” he said. “We saw the people in Detroit sitting around and getting paid even though they weren’t working and they didn’t care if GM went bankrupt. You won’t see that at Cessna.”

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