WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Winning a multibillion-dollar tanker refueling contract from the Air Force would bring more substantially more jobs to the Wichita area than the originial projection of 800 to 1,000, Boeing Co. officials say.

Jim Albaugh, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems' president and chief executive, said the contract would bring "well in excess of several thousand" jobs to Wichita. He and other officials would not say just how many.

Previous estimates ranged from 300 to 500 jobs at Boeing's Wichita plant and another 500 with local suppliers.

Albaugh made his comment at a rally Friday that was also attended by executives from one of Boeing's suppliers, Spirit AeroSystems, along with government officials and about 650 employees.

Chicago-based Boeing is competiting with a team from Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the parent company of Airbus SAS.

Boeing's bid is for a modified 767, while the Northrup-Airbus group is offering a modified A330.

If Boeing wins the bid, its Wichita facility would serve as a finishing center - installing equipment, flight testing the tankers and delivering them to the Air Force.

Boeing would build the KC-767 at its widebody factory in Everett, Wash., on the assembly line where it has produced nearly 1,000 commercial 767 passenger and cargo jets.

The Air Force is expected to announce its decision by the end of the year. The contract, for 179 planes over 15 years, could be worth $40 billion.

Boeing built the current fleet of KC-135 tankers, which will be phased out by the new planes. At Friday's rally, Rep. Todd Tiahrt stressed that experience and took a dig at Airbus, which is based in France.

"Should we rely on a foreign rookie? No," said Tiahrt, R-Kan. "You go with the best."

Spirit AeroSystems builds the 767's pylons, engine coverings and forward fuselage in Wichita. The company builds wing components in the United Kingdom and seat tracks in Tulsa, Okla.

Jeff Turner, Spirit's chief executive, said work on the 767 accounts for about 5 percent of his company's business.

"That's not an insignificant amount," he said.

Tanker work would mean the 767 line would continue, he said.

Boeing initially won a tanker contract in 2004. But it was taken away after a former company executive improperly recruited a former Air Force official while she was still overseeing contracts involving prospective Boeing deals.

The former Air Force official, Darleen Druyun served nine months in prison for violating federal conflict-of-interest laws. Michael Sears, formerly Boeing's chief financial officer, spent four months in federal prison for illegally recruiting her.