AEROSPACE & DEFENSE

McDonnell Scales Back Estimate of Jobs for Plant: Because of its plans for a partnership with a company in Taiwan, McDonnell Douglas has reduced the anticipated number of jobs at a proposed jet assembly plant. Kansas City and seven other cities are in the running for the plant, which would produce the company’s new MD-12 commercial jet. The company had been estimating that the plant would create 7,400 to 12,300 jobs for the host city. Now the number of jobs is expected to range between 5,000 and 10,000. McDonnell Douglas spokesman Pete Sloan said the estimate has been cut because of talks with Taiwan Aerospace Corp., which has signed a preliminary agreement to buy 40% of McDonnell Douglas’ civilian aviation business, including the MD-12.