Washington ? The talk was reassuring at a Wednesday meeting between Kansas lawmakers and Boeing Co. chief executive Harry Stonecipher, but the future remains uncertain for the company’s Wichita manufacturing plant.

The meeting was scheduled after rumors surfaced in January that Boeing might sell the plant, which employs 12,400 people in Kansas. Stonecipher said at the time that no plans were in the works but that Boeing had studied the possibility.

Stonecipher strode past reporters without speaking after the meeting. With him was Boeing chief lobbyist Rudy deLeon, who said they would leave it to the Kansans to say what had transpired.

“There’s really very little news,” Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., told reporters afterward. “There’s always going to be studies going on to see whether they should spin off part or all of Boeing Wichita. And I think that’s something that is going to hang over our head in the future.”

Tiahrt, Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback and Rep. Jerry Moran, all said the conversation was positive and focused on Wichita’s assets. The Boeing executives and the Republican lawmakers met with congressional aides in Roberts’ office.

“Boeing’s good for Wichita, and Wichita’s good for Boeing,” Brownback said as he left the meeting.

Moran said: “What I heard today were all reasons that Boeing has to remain in Kansas.”

Roberts said Wichita workers were aided by the role they would play in converting Boeing 767 planes for use as Air Force refueling tankers.

After the Pentagon ordered more reviews into Boeing’s plan to lease and sell 100 of the aircraft to replace the Air Force’s aging fleet of KC-135 tankers, Boeing said last month it would slow development of the project. The company is facing a probe into possible ethical misconduct by former executives.

Roberts predicted the 767 tanker program eventually would move forward.

“Once we get past the investigation period, the bottom line is that they are vital to our national security, and the bottom line is the leasing proposal is less costly to taxpayers, and the bottom line is once we can show that, it can move forward.

“But I think some time has to pass before that occurs,” Roberts said.

Tiahrt said Boeing believed the program would go through this spring.

Tiahrt, who represents the Wichita area and is himself a former Boeing employee, said the company’s Wichita facility had taken steps to cut costs and boost efficiency.

“For example, they used to move a fuselage every 13 days; now they’ve got it down to a four-day move; that’s a tremendous increase in productivity,” he said. “That saves the company money. There’s always going to be pressure to drive costs down, because it’s a competitive company.”