For more information on Boeing Co., visit Britannica.com.
For more information on Boeing Co., visit Britannica.com.
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Balance Sheet Cash Flow Statement 100 N. Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606-1596 IL Tel. 312-544-2000 Fax 312-544-2082 |
Type: Public
On the web:
http://www.boeing.com
Employees:
162,200
Employee growth: 1.8%
Boeing is the 800-pound gorilla of US aerospace. The world's largest aerospace company, Boeing is the #2 maker of large commercial jets (behind rival Airbus) and the #2 defense contractor behind Lockheed Martin. Boeing has two major segments: Commercial Airplanes and Integrated Defense Systems. Through its Boeing Capital subsidiary, the company provides financing and leasing services to both commercial and military/aerospace customers. Boeing makes about two-thirds of its sales in the Americas. As the worldwide recession continues, the company will adjust to decreased demand for new commercial airliners, and its military programs may come under more scrutiny from the Obama administration and from Congress.
Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2009:
Sales: $68,281.0M
One year growth: 12.1%
Net income: $1,312.0M
Income growth: (50.9%)
Officers:
Chairman, President, and CEO: W. James (Jim) McNerney Jr.
EVP and CFO: James A. Bell
SVP Public Policy: Timothy J. (Tim) Keating
Competitors:
Airbus
Lockheed Martin
Northrop Grumman
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Company History:
The Boeing Company |
Incorporated: 1934 as Boeing Airplane Company
NAIC: 336411 Aircraft Manufacturing; 336413 Other Aircraft
SIC: 3721 Aircraft; 3728 Aircraft Parts & Equipment Nec; 3761 Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles; 3764 Space Propulsion Units & Parts; 3769 Space Vehicle Equipment Nec; 3812 Search & Navigation Equipment; 3669 Communications Equipment Nec
The Boeing Company is the largest aerospace company in the world, thanks to its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas Corporation and its 1996 purchase of the defense and space units of Rockwell International Corporation. The corporation is the world's number one maker of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. Boeing has more than 9,000 commercial aircraft in service worldwide, including the 717 through 777 families of jets and the MD-80, MD-90, and MD-11. In the defense sector, the company makes military aircraft, including fighter, transport, and attack aircraft; helicopters; and missiles. In addition to its position as the nation's top NASA contractor--and the leader of the U.S. industry team for the International Space Station--Boeing is also involved in commercial space projects such as satellite networks and a sea-based satellite launch platform.
Founder William Boeing was raised in Michigan, where his father operated a lucrative forestry business. While he was in San Diego, California, in 1910, Boeing met a French stunt pilot named Louis Paulhan who was performing at the International Air Meet. When Paulhan took Boeing for an airplane ride, it marked the beginning of Boeing's fascination with aviation.
After two years of study at Yale's Sheffield School of Science, Boeing returned to Michigan to work for his father. He was sent first to Wisconsin and later to the state of Washington to acquire more timber properties for the family business. In Seattle he met a navy engineer named Conrad Westerveldt who shared his fascination with aviation. A barnstormer named Terah Maroney gave the two men a ride over Puget Sound in his seaplane. Later Boeing went to Los Angeles to purchase his own seaplane, thinking it would be useful for fishing trips. The man who sold him the plane and taught him how to fly was Glenn Martin, who later founded Martin Marietta.
While in Seattle, Boeing and Westerveldt made a hobby of building their own seaplanes on the backwaters of Puget Sound. It became more than a hobby when a mechanic named Herb Munter and a number of other carpenters and craftsmen became involved. In May 1916, Boeing flew the first 'B & W' seaplane. The next month he incorporated his company as the Pacific Aero Products Company. The company's first customer was the government of New Zealand, which employed the plane for mail delivery and pilot training. In 1917 the company's name was changed to Boeing Airplane Company.
Boeing and his partners anticipated government interest in their company when the United States became involved in World War I. They discovered their hunch was correct when the company was asked to train flight instructors for the army. After the war, Boeing sold a number of airplanes to Edward Hubbard, whose Hubbard Air Transport is regarded as the world's first airline. The company shuttled mail between Seattle and the transpacific mailboat that called at Victoria, British Columbia. Later, when the post office invited bids for various airmail routes, Hubbard tried to convince Boeing to apply for the Chicago to San Francisco contract. Boeing mentioned the idea to his wife, who thought the opportunity looked promising. In the prospect, he and Hubbard created a new airline named the Boeing Air Transport Company. They submitted a bid and were awarded the contract.
To meet the demands of their new business Boeing and his engineers developed an extremely versatile and popular airplane called the Model 40. Fitted with a Pratt & Whitney air-cooled Wasp engine, it could carry 1,000 pounds of mail and a complete flight crew, and still have room enough for freight or passengers. The Kelly Airmail Act of 1925 opened the way for private airmail delivery on a much wider scale. As a result, a number of airline companies were formed with the intention of procuring the stable and lucrative airmail contracts. One of these companies was Vernon Gorst's Pacific Air Transport, which won various routes along the Pacific Coast. Boeing purchased this company and then ordered a young employee named William Patterson to purchase its outstanding stock. Boeing also purchased Varney Airlines, which began operation in 1925 and won almost every mail contract it applied for until it became overextended and had financial difficulties.
With the addition of National Air Transport, Boeing's airline holdings formed the original United Air Lines. In 1928 all these companies were organized under a holding company called the Boeing Aircraft and Transportation Company. In 1929 a larger holding company was formed, the United Aircraft and Transportation Company. Included in this group were the 'United' airlines and Stout Airlines; Pratt & Whitney (engines); Boeing, Sikorsky, Northrop, and Stearman (manufacturers); and Standard Steel Prop and Hamilton Aero Manufacturing (propellers). Boeing was made chairman of the company and Fred Rentschler of Pratt & Whitney was named president.
Boeing and Rentschler became extremely wealthy in this reorganization by exchanging stock with the holding company in a method similar to J.P. Morgan's controversial capital manipulation. They multiplied their original investments by a factor of as much as 200,000 times. It was, however, entirely legal at the time. In 1933 the government conducted an investigation of fraud and other illegal practices in the airline industry. Boeing was called upon to testify and explain his windfall profits before a Senate investigating committee. Under examination he admitted to making $12 million in stock flotations.
Boeing was so infuriated with the investigation that he retired from the company (at age 52) and sold all his aviation stocks. Upon Boeing's departure the company's production manager, Phil Johnson, was named the new president. But William Boeing was not forgotten by the aircraft industry. In 1934 he was recognized for his innovation in aeronautical research and development with the award of the Daniel Guggenheim medal, 'for successful pioneering and achievement in aircraft manufacturing and air transport.'
In 1934 a government investigation of collusion in the airmail business led to a suspension of all contracts awarded. As a result, the U.S. Congress declared that airline companies and manufacturers could not be part of the same business concern. This led to the break-up of the three aeronautic conglomerates: Boeing's United, the Aviation Corporation of the Americas, and North American Aviation. All of the Boeing company's aeronautic properties east of the Mississippi became part of a new company, United Aircraft (later renamed United Technologies), operated by Fred Rentschler. The western properties, principally the Boeing Airplane Company, remained in Seattle exclusively manufacturing airframes. Pat Patterson was put in charge of the commercial air carriers, which retained the name of United Air Lines and based their operations at Chicago's Old Orchard (later O'Hare) airport.
In the years leading up to World War II Boeing led the way in developing single-wing airplanes. They were constructed completely of metal to make them stronger and faster; more efficient aerodynamic designs were emphasized; retractable landing gear and better wings were developed, along with multiple 'power plant' technology; and, finally, directional radios were installed which enabled better navigation and night flying. Boeing had established itself as the leading manufacturer of airplanes.
When the United States launched its wartime militarization program, Boeing was called upon to produce hundreds of its B-17 'Flying Fortresses' for the U.S. Army. During the war the B-17 became an indispensable instrument for the U.S. Air Corps. In June 1944, when production was at its peak, Boeing's Seattle facility turned out 16 of these airplanes every 24 hours. By this time the company was also producing an improved bomber called the B-29 'Super Fortress.' It was this airplane that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Boeing's president, Phil Johnson, died unexpectedly during the war. He was replaced with the company's chief lawyer, William M. Allen, on the last day of the war. Under Allen's leadership, Boeing produced a number of new bombers, including the B-47, B-50, and the B-52. Boeing's B-307 Stratoliner, a B-17 converted for transporting passengers, was succeeded by the B-377 Stratocruiser in 1952. The Stratocruiser was a very popular double-deck transport, most widely used by Northwest Orient. It was also Boeing's only airplane built for the commercial airline market since before the war.
In the spring of 1953 Bill Allen persuaded the secretary of the U.S. Air Force, Harold Talbot, to allow Boeing the use of the government-owned B-52 construction facilities for the development of a new civilian/military jet. Boeing invested $16 million in the project, which was intended to put the company ahead of the Douglas Aircraft Company. Douglas had dominated the commercial airplane market for years with its popular propeller-driven DC series.
This new jet, the B-707, first rolled off the assembly line in 1957. American Airlines, a loyal Douglas customer, was the first to order the new jet. Their defection so alarmed Douglas that the company accelerated development of its nearly identical DC-8 passenger jetliner. The government later took delivery of Boeing's military version of the jet, the KC-135 tanker, alternately known as the 'missing 717.' Meanwhile, Boeing expanded its involvement in the defense market through the 1960 acquisition of Philadelphia-based Vertol Aircraft Corporation, a maker of military helicopters. During the Vietnam War, Boeing Chinook and Sea Knight helicopters were heavily utilized by American forces.
Boeing, which changed its name to The Boeing Company in 1961, enjoyed a large degree of success and profitability with the 707. The company devoted its resources to the development of a number of other passenger jet models, including the 720 (a modified 707) and the 727, which was introduced in 1964. The 727 was Boeing's response to a successful French model called the Caravelle. The Caravelle's engines were located in the rear of the fuselage, uncluttering the wings and reducing cabin noise. Boeing adopted this design for its three-engine 727, which carried 143 passengers. Douglas, unwilling to be passed by, introduced a similar two-engine model called the DC-9 in 1965.
During this time the company also recognized a demand for a smaller 100-passenger jetliner for shorter routes. As a result, Boeing developed the 737 model. The 737 seemed to run counter to the general trend at Boeing of building larger, more technologically advanced jetliners, but it did have a place in the market and made a profit.
Boeing's next engineering accomplishment was the creation of a very large passenger transport designated the 747. This new jetliner was capable of carrying twice as many passengers as any other airplane. Its huge dimensions and powerful four-engine configuration made it the first of a new class of 'jumbo jets,' later joined by McDonnell Douglas's DC-10 and Lockheed's 1011 Tri-Star. The first 747 was produced in 1968, and it made its first commercial voyage in January 1970 on a Pan American flight from New York to London.
The 1960s also saw Boeing active in the defense and NASA contracting sectors. As the Cold War continued, Boeing was selected to develop the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile system. The company completed the first test launch of a Minuteman missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida, in February 1961. The Minuteman II and Minuteman III followed later in the decade. In 1966 Boeing was selected to design, develop, and test the short-range attack missile (SRAM); by the early 1970s the company had produced 1,000 SRAMs.
As far back as 1959 Boeing had developed a prototype manned, reusable space vehicle similar to the Space Shuttle of two decades later. Called Dyna-Soar, the project was canceled in 1963. Boeing was heavily involved in NASA's Apollo project of the 1960s, beginning with its production of several Lunar Orbiters, the first of which was launched in 1966. The Orbiters circled the moon, sending photographs of the moon back to Earth, which helped NASA select safe landing sites for the Apollo missions. Boeing was also responsible for the first stage of the Saturn V Apollo rocket, which launched Apollo 8 in December 1968, the mission that took the first astronauts around the moon. (The second stage of the Saturn V was built by Rockwell's aerospace unit and the third by McDonnell Douglas--two entities that would be acquired by Boeing late in the 20th century.) In 1969 Boeing began building the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which was used to explore the moon in the early 1970s on the final three Apollo missions.
Boeing had seemingly ended the 1960s on high notes. On July 20, 1969, the first human being walked on the moon, with Boeing having played its key role in the Apollo 11 mission. By the time the 747 was first delivered in 1969, 160 orders had been placed for the jetliner. Boeing was counting on increased sales of commercial aircraft to make up for the revenue shortfall engendered by the winding down of the Apollo program. But the aviation industry was hit by a recession just as the 747 was beginning production, leading to an 18-month period when the company received not one new order from a domestic carrier. Aggravating the situation for a new jet that had not yet established itself in the market were higher than expected startup costs and initial delivery problems. A further blow came when development was halted on the 2707, a supersonic transport better known as the 'SST.' Boeing and Lockheed had been selected to design the SST back in 1964, but progress on this aircraft was slow and costly. Despite the support of Senator Henry Jackson, the U.S. Congress in 1971 voted not to fund further development of the SST. Shortly thereafter Boeing abandoned the project altogether. Boeing's situation was so dire that the company was close to bankruptcy. In 1969 a new chief executive, Thornton Wilson, was appointed to head the organization. Faced with an impending disaster, Wilson pared the workforce down from 80,400 to 37,200 between early 1970 and October 1971. The layoffs at Boeing had a profound effect on the local economy, as unemployment in Seattle rose to 14 percent.
Wilson's austerity measures paid off quickly. Soon Boeing's jets were rolling off the tarmac, and employees were called back to work. After the company's initial recovery, it received a deluge of commercial airplane orders and military contracts. Boeing had been selected as the prime contractor for the airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft. First test-flown in 1972, the AWACS was a modified version of a 707 used by the military as an airborne early warning system. The first NATO AWACS was delivered to West Germany in 1981. Another key defense contract won by Boeing was for the air-launched cruise missile (ALCM), which was first test-launched from a B-52 in 1976. Under a $4 billion defense department contract, construction began on an assembly facility for the ALCM program in July 1980 in Kent, Washington. In the space sector Boeing built the Mariner 10 spacecraft, which was launched in November 1973 and completed a flyby of Mercury in March 1975. Three years later the company won a contract with NASA to construct the inertial upper stage rocket used to boost the Space Shuttle.
In 1978 Boeing started development of two new passenger jet models--the 757 and the wide-body 767--intended to take the company into the 21st century. The 767 made its first flight in 1981 while the 757 did likewise one year later. Utilizing advanced technology and improved engines, these jetliners were Boeing's response to McDonnell Douglas's MD series and the European Airbus consortium's 300 series. They also were more fuel-efficient than previous models, in response to the oil shortages of the 1970s, and quieter--the latter a nod to growing concern over aircraft noise. For airlines, the 757 and 767 also had added benefits: they required smaller crews and their shared design led the Federal Aviation Administration to declare in 1983 that any pilot qualified to fly one model was automatically qualified to fly the other. Besides the 757 and 767, Boeing offered an updated 737 for the shorter-range rural 'puddle-jumper' market and modified 747s capable of greater range and passenger capacity.
During this period of prosperity with commercial jetliners, Boeing made several attempts to diversify its business. Not all of them were successful. In the 1970s Boeing entered the metro-rail business, manufacturing mass transit systems for Boston, San Francisco, and Morgantown, West Virginia. The systems were modern, computerized, and efficient. They were also prone to frequent breakdowns. After fulfilling its obligation to rectify the systems (at great cost), Boeing decided to discontinue its ground transport business. Other short-lived ventures were the management of a housing project for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the building of a desalinization plant in the Virgin Islands, the construction of three huge wind turbines in the Columbia River gorge, and the irrigation of a 6,000-acre farm in an eastern Oregon desert.
Boeing established an 'Advanced Products Group' in the later years of the 1980s to oversee the company's more futuristic aircraft and keep it at the technological vanguard. Boeing's twin-engine wide-body 777, originally scheduled to be introduced with the 757 and 767, attracted little interest and was temporarily shelved. The development of the fuel-efficient, 150-passenger 777 was also delayed when declining fuel costs and rising research and development expenses reduced demand. By 1990 the 777 had made a comeback: an initial order of 34 airplanes and 34 options placed by United Airlines put the new jet, which carried 350 passengers, into official production. The first 777-200 was delivered to United in 1995.
Frank Shrontz advanced to Boeing's chief executive office in 1986, at the start of the world's largest aircraft order binge in history, and led the manufacturer from sales of $16.3 billion in 1986 to $29.31 billion in 1991. Although Boeing remained profitable, its earnings declined steadily in the mid-1980s and its stock dropped 20 points in October 1987. Boeing jets were involved in four fatal air accidents from December 1988 to March 1989, and the company missed its first delivery deadline in two decades when the 747-400 experienced production delays. These internal problems were exacerbated by increased competition from Airbus, which was heavily subsidized by a consortium of European companies and governments.
Nevertheless, in 1990 Boeing chalked up record sales and net profits of $27.6 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively, and ended the year with a $97 billion backlog. But after its experiences of the 1980s, and due to CEO Shrontz's vigilance, Boeing began to institute retrenchment moves. Although the manufacturer experienced three years of rising sales and earnings from 1989 to 1992, prospects for the future of the company--and the industry--were not bright. Worldwide orders of all aircraft declined from 1,662 in 1989 to 439 in 1991, and cancellations from the besieged airlines diminished expected delivery figures even more. The commercial airline industry's downturn started in 1990, heralding brutal price wars and canceled aircraft orders. Around the same time, the Cold War was winding down and Pentagon spending on military systems went into a sharp decline as well, buffeting Boeing's defense unit. By the fall of 1992, Boeing's stock suffered on Wall Street, selling for about $35 per share, down from a high of nearly $62 in 1990.
Shrontz moved to reduce Boeing's cost structure by 20 to 30 percent by 1997, even though his firm was the world's lowest-cost aircraft producer. Production cuts soon led to layoffs. Boeing's workforce declined each year from 1989 to 1993, for a total of 40,000 jobs lost. Early in 1994, Shrontz announced that about 30,000 jobs--one-fourth of the company's remaining workforce--would be eliminated over the course of the year. Sales for 1993 declined to $25.44 billion from 1992's $30.18 billion, and net earnings slid from $1.55 billion to $1.24 billion. Additional workforce reductions came in 1994 and 1995, years in which revenue and earnings declined still further, dropping to $19.52 billion and $393 million, respectively, by 1995.
Meanwhile, in 1993 NASA selected Boeing as the prime contractor for the International Space Station, which was called the largest international science and technology endeavor ever undertaken, and which was scheduled for completion in the early 21st century. In addition, the company was also becoming increasingly involved in commercial space projects, most notably Sea Launch, a consortium 40 percent owned by Boeing with partners from Russia, the Ukraine, and Norway. In December 1995 this venture received its first order: ten commercial space satellite launches from Hughes Space and Communication Co. In October 1999 Sea Launch successfully made the first launch of a commercial satellite from a floating platform at sea. In the military contracting sector, in late 1996 Boeing was selected as one of two finalists, along with Lockheed Martin, to build and test two variants of the Joint Strike Fighter, a multiservice aircraft slated to be deployed in the 21st century by the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy, along with the U.K. Royal Navy. The project carried the potential for a massive $160 billion contract. Also in 1996 Philip Condit was named CEO of Boeing; Condit became chairman as well in early 1997.
The industrywide difficulties in the aerospace and defense fields in the first half of the 1990s led to a wave of consolidation through mergers and acquisitions. Preoccupied with straightening out its own house, Boeing watched from the sidelines--that is, until the company completed two major acquisitions within an eight-month period. In December 1996 Boeing paid $3.2 billion for the aerospace and defense holdings of Rockwell International. Gained in the transaction were Rockwell's contracts for the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, as well as activities in launch systems, rocket engines, missiles, satellites, military airplanes, and guidance and navigation systems. In August 1997 Boeing completed a $14 billion acquisition of McDonnell Douglas, vaulting Boeing into the number one position worldwide in the aerospace industry. McDonnell had been the world's number three maker of commercial aircraft, with its MD series of jets; the acquisition therefore increased Boeing's share of the world market for large commercial jetliners to more than 60 percent--and it left Boeing with just one major competitor in that sector: the European Airbus consortium, which held about one-third of the world market. As the market for commercial planes was once again on the upswing at the time, Boeing particularly coveted the added production capacity the acquisition brought. Another key attraction--and perhaps even more important--was the opportunity to further bolster the company's defense and space operations, which it hoped would provide a counterbalance to the boom-and-bust cycle of commercial jets. McDonnell was number two among U.S. defense contractors and was the number one maker of military aircraft worldwide. Among the military aircraft were the F/A-18, which formed the core of the U.S. Navy's jet fleet, and the F-15, which was the U.S. Air Force's top fighter aircraft. Following the McDonnell acquisition, Condit remained chairman and CEO of Boeing, while Harry Stonecipher, McDonnell's CEO, was named president and chief operating officer.
Unfortunately, 1997 turned disastrous for Boeing for reasons wholly unrelated to its acquisition spree. Attempting to take advantage of the upswing in airplane orders, which was in part caused by the aging of the airliners' fleets, Boeing committed to doubling its production over an 18-month period. Various snafus led to production delays, including the wholesale shutdown of some production units while out-of-sequence work was brought back into line. The company took pretax charges in 1997 totaling a whopping $3 billion plus, more than half of which stemmed from the production difficulties. Boeing also took a $1.4 billion charge related to its decision to phase out production of the MD-80 and MD-90 jets by early 2000. These charges led the company to record its first loss in 50 years, a net loss of $178 million on revenues of $45.8 billion. Additional charges were taken during 1998, but the company managed to post net income of $1.12 billion on sales of $56.15 billion thanks to the strong performance of its defense and space operations. It also managed to increase the number of aircraft it produced from the 374 of 1997 to more than 550 in 1998. The company was in the midst of a major cost-containment effort, with its workforce expected to be reduced from its peak of 238,000 at year-end 1997 to between 185,000 and 195,000 by the end of 2000.
As it prepared for the 21st century, Boeing's defense and space operations appeared to be healthy despite such setbacks as the August 1998 explosion of a Delta III rocket making its maiden voyage, with a satellite in tow, and the delays in the development of the International Space Station because of economic turmoil in Russia. In October 1998 the Air Force awarded Boeing a $1.38 billion contract to launch a new generation of rockets, and Boeing in 1999 also won a $4.5 billion contract to develop spy satellites for the CIA and others. If anything was clouding Boeing's future it was the commercial aircraft sector, where Airbus was developing into a formidable adversary. In late 1999 Aerospatiale SA of France merged with the aerospace unit of DaimlerChrysler AG to form European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co., which now held 80 percent of Airbus, with the other 20 percent owned by British Aerospace plc. This streamlining of the ownership structure brought closer the long-anticipated transformation of Airbus into a publicly traded, focused corporation; should that occur, no longer could Boeing dismiss Airbus as a clumsy consortium propped up by government subsidies. In fact, the battle lines appeared to have been drawn by the two rivals at the end of the 20th century in the development of the next generation of super jumbo jets. Airbus had in the planning stages a brand-new jet, the A-3XX, envisioned as the largest jetliner ever, featuring four engines, double decks running the length of the fuselage, a range of 8,800 miles, and passenger capacity of 555 to 655. The project was estimated to cost $12 billion. Boeing had in mind producing a bigger, longer-range version of its 747 jet, dubbed the 747-x Stretch, with seating capacity of 500 to 520, a range of 8,625 miles, and a projected cost of just $2-$3 billion. An intense competition for contracts with airliners was expected in the early 21st century as the super jumbos began to take shape.
Principal Subsidiaries
757UA, Inc.; 767ER, Inc.; Aileron Inc.; Akash, Inc.; Aldford-1 Corporation; ARGOsystems Inc.; Astro Limited; Astro-II, Inc.; Autonetics, Inc.; Bahasa Aircraft Corporation; BCS Richland, Inc.; Beaufoy-1 Corporation; Boeing Aerospace Ltd.; Boeing Aerospace Operations Inc.; Boeing Agri-Industrial Company; Boeing Commercial Information and Communication Company; Boeing Commercial Space Company; Boeing Constructors, Inc.; Boeing Domestic Sales Corporation; Boeing Enterprises, Inc.; Boeing Financial Corporation; Boeing Global Services, Inc.; Boeing Information Services, Inc.; Boeing International Corporation; Boeing International Logistics Spares, Inc.; Boeing International Sales Corporation; Boeing Investment Company, Inc.; Boeing Leasing Company; Boeing Logistics Spares, Inc.; Boeing Middle East Limited; Boeing North American, Inc.; Boeing Offset Company, Inc.; Boeing Operations International, Incorporated; Boeing Overseas, Inc.; Boeing Precision Gear, Inc.; Boeing Space Operations Company; Boeing Support Services, Inc.; Boeing Technology International, Inc.; Boeing Travel Management Company; Canard Holdings, Inc.; CBSA Leasing II, Inc.; CBSA Leasing, Inc.; Cougar, Ltd.; Dillon, Inc.; Gaucho-1 Inc.; GAUCHO-2 Inc.; Hanway Corporation; Longacres Park, Inc.; Longbow Golf Club Corporation; McDonnell Douglas Corporation; Montana Aviation Research Company; North American Aviation, Inc.; Rainier Aircraft Leasing Inc.; Rocketdyne Technical Services Company; Rocketdyne, Inc.; Sunshine Leasing Company - 1; Taiko Leasing, Inc.; Thayer Leasing Company - 1; VC-X 757, Inc.; Wingspan, Inc.
Principal Competitors
Aerospatiale Matra; Airbus Industrie; The BFGoodrich Company; Bombardier Inc.; British Aerospace plc; Cordant Technologies Inc.; DaimlerChrysler AG; Dassault Aviation SA; Kaman Corporation; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Raytheon Company; Sextant Avionique; Textron Inc.; Thomson S.A.; United Technologies Corporation.
Further Reading
Banks, Howard, 'Moment of Truth,' Forbes, May 22, 1995, p. 51.
Bauer, Eugene E., Boeing in Peace and War, Enumclaw, Wash.: Taba Publishing, 1990, 364 p.
Bernstein, Aaron, Andy Reinhardt, and Seanna Browder, 'Lost in Space at Boeing: Post-Merger Clashes Throw the Aerospace Giant Off-Course,' Business Week, April 27, 1998, p. 42.
Biddle, Frederic M., 'Boeing Is Placing Its Bets on Smaller, Cheaper Airliners,' Wall Street Journal, July 6, 1998, p. A22.
------, 'Boeing Is Still Waiting for Merger Results to Take Off,' Wall Street Journal, March 2, 1998, p. B6.
------, 'Boeing's Effort to Cushion Itself from Cycles Backfires,' Wall Street Journal, October 24, 1997, p. B4.
Biddle, Frederic M., and John Helyar, 'Behind Boeing's Woes: Clunky Assembly Line, Price War with Airbus,' Wall Street Journal, April 24, 1998, p. A1.
Bilstein, Roger E., Flight in America, 1900-1983: From the Wrights to the Astronauts, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984, 356 p.
Bowers, Peter M., Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1989, 668 p.
Browder, Seanna, 'Getting Boeing to Fly Right,' Business Week, September 27, 1999, p. 104.
Cloud, David S., 'McDonnell Douglas, Chinese Trading Firm Are Indicted by U.S.,' Wall Street Journal, October 20, 1999, p. A4.
Cole, Jeff, 'Airbus Prepares to `Bet the Company' As It Builds a Huge New Jet: It Could Seat Nearly 1,000; Meanwhile, Boeing Opts to Simply Retool Its 747,' Wall Street Journal, November 3, 1999, pp. A1, A10.
------, 'Air Power: Boeing Plan to Acquire McDonnell Douglas Bolsters Consolidation,' Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1996, p. A1.
------, 'Boeing, in a Strategic Shift, to Develop Its Own Satellite Systems and Services,' Wall Street Journal, June 14, 1999, p. A3.
------, 'Boeing to Proceed with Bigger 747 Jet,' Wall Street Journal, September 20, 1999, pp. A2, A4.
------, 'Shrontz Turns Over Controls at Boeing As Rivals Rev Up,' Wall Street Journal, April 29, 1996, p. B4.
------, 'Sleepless in Seattle: Onslaught of Orders Has Boeing Scrambling to Build Jets Faster,' Wall Street Journal, July 24, 1996, p. A1.
Cole, Jeff, and Charles Goldsmith, 'Rivalry Between Boeing, Airbus Takes New Direction,' Wall Street Journal, April 30, 1997, p. B4.
Cole, Jeff, and Steven Lipin, 'Boeing Deal Will Strengthen Company: Acquisition of Rockwell's Aerospace and Defense Operations Is Announced,' Wall Street Journal, August 2, 1996, p. A3.
Edmondson, Gail, Janet Rae-Dupree, and Kerry Capell, 'How Airbus Could Rule the Skies,' Business Week, August 2, 1999, p. 54.
Holmes, Stanley, 'Boeing Thinks Small, Airbus Thinks Big in Demand for Aircraft in Next 20 Years,' Seattle Times, June 16, 1999.
Ingells, Douglas J., 747: The Story of the Boeing Super Jet, Fallbrook, Calif.: Aero Publishers, 1970.
Irving, Clive, Wide-Body: The Triumph of the 747, New York: Morrow, 1993, 384 p.
Kuter, Lawrence S., The Great Gamble: The Boeing 747, University of Alabama Press, 1973, 134 p.
Lubove, Seth, 'Destroying the Old Hierarchies,' Forbes, June 3, 1996, p. 62.
Lynn, Matthew, Birds of Prey: Boeing Vs. Airbus: A Battle for the Skies, rev. ed., New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 1997, 244 p.
Mansfield, Harold, Billion Dollar Battle: The Story Behind the 'Impossible' 727 Project, edited by James Gilbert, New York: Ayer, 1965.
------, Vision: A Saga of the Sky, New York: Ayer, 1965.
Osterland, Andrew, 'Philip M. Condit of the Boeing Company (CEO of the Year),' Financial World, April 15, 1997, p. 66.
Pasztor, Andy, 'Boeing 777s Face Curbs from FAA,' Wall Street Journal, October 28, 1999, pp. A3, A5.
Pasztor, Andy, and Jeff Cole, 'Boeing Discloses Defect, Delays Jet Deliveries,' Wall Street Journal, November 3, 1999, pp. A2, A10.
Rae-Dupree, Janet, 'Can Boeing Get Lean Enough?,' Business Week, August 30, 1999, p. 182.
Redding, Robert, and Bill Yenne, Boeing: Planemaker to the World, London: Arms and Armour Press, 1983; rev. ed., San Diego: Thunder Bay Press, 1997, 256 p.
Reinhardt, Andy, and Seanna Browder, 'Fly, Damn It, Fly: A New Boeing Crew Tries to Navigate a Turnaround,' Business Week, November 9, 1998, p. 150.
Reinhardt, Andy, Seanna Browder, and Ron Stodghill II, 'Three Huge Hours in Seattle: How Boeing and McDonnell Cut the Biggest Deal in Aviation History,' Business Week, December 30, 1996, p. 38.
Rodgers, Eugene, Flying High: The Story of Boeing and the Rise of the Jetliner Industry, New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1996, 502 p.
Sabbagh, Karl, Twenty-First Century Jet: The Making and Marketing of the Boeing 777, New York: Scribner, 1996, 366 p.
Serling, Robert J., Legend and Legacy: The Story of Boeing and Its People, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992, 480 p.
Squeo, Anne Marie, 'Boeing, Raytheon Successfully Test Interceptor for National Missile System,' Wall Street Journal, October 4, 1999, p. A4.
Taylor, Alex, III, 'Boeing: Sleepy in Seattle,' Fortune, August 7, 1995, p. 92.
Wilhelm, Steve, 'Boeing Aims Higher in Satellite Business,' Puget Sound Business Journal, October 4, 1999.
— April Dougal Gasbarre; Updated by David E. Salamie
US History Encyclopedia:
Boeing Company |
In 1917, one year after forming Pacific Aero Products in Seattle, William E. Boeing changed his young firm's name to Boeing Airplane Company. During World War I, Boeing Airplane supplied American military forces with planes and assisted in training pilots. In 1929, Boeing Airplane joined several other firms, including United Air Lines, to form the United Aircraft and Transportation Company. Frustrated with a government investigation into the formation of this and other aircraft holding companies, Boeing retired in 1933 and Philip Johnson became the company's new president, a position he held until his death in September 1944.
Upon U.S. entry into World War II, Boeing began supplying planes to the military. Boeing's initial involvement was rather inauspicious: it supplied only 255 small trainers and 38 bombers out of the military's first order of 6,000 aircraft. Yet Boeing's B-17 bomber, nicknamed the Flying Fortress, proved tremendously effective and the military ordered large numbers of the plane. During its peak production period in the middle of 1944, Boeing produced a new B-17 every ninety minutes. To handle this demand, Boeing enlarged the workforce at its Seattle factories from under 2,000 workers in 1938 to nearly 45,000 in 1945.
Although the B-17 was a tremendous success, the military needed an even bigger plane. Boeing began designing one in 1942, an effort that culminated in the B-29 bomber, nicknamed the Superfortress. A very complicated aircraft, the B-29 became the second most expensive weapons project of the war, trailing only the development of the atomic bomb. These two projects were ultimately united when it was decided to use B-29s to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
After the war, Boeing again began to produce civilian aircraft. In 1953 William Allen, who had replaced Phil Johnson as the company's president, convinced government officials to allow Boeing to use government-owned facilities to develop a new civilian-military jet. In May 1954, Boeing introduced the B-707, a commercial jet that proved immediately popular. During the 1960s, Boeing introduced two new jet models, the 727 and the 737. Its next significant contribution was the introduction of the first jumbo jet, the 747, which was capable of carrying twice as many passengers as the next biggest aircraft. Boeing delivered the first 747s in 1969, and this model helped secure its place in the competitive commercial aircraft market. By the 1990s, only two commercial aircraft makers were left: Boeing and Airbus, a European consortium led by France and Germany.
Bibliography
McCraw, Thomas K. American Business, 1920–2000: How It Worked. Wheeling, Ill.: Harlan Davidson, 2000.
Rodgers, Eugene. Flying High: The Story of Boeing and the Rise of the Jetliner Industry. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1996.
Sell, T. M. Wings of Power: Boeing and the Politics of Growth in the Northwest. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001.
—Martin H. Stack
Wikipedia:
Boeing |
| Type | Public (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Seattle, Washington (1916) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Key people | W. James McNerney, Jr., CEO James A. Bell, CFO J. Michael Luttig, General Counsel |
| Industry | Aerospace and Defense |
| Products | Commercial airliners Military aircraft Munitions Space systems Computer Services |
| Revenue | ▲ US$60.9 Billion (FY 2008)[1] |
| Operating income | ▲ US$3.93 Billion (FY 2008)[1] |
| Net income | ▲ US$2.67 Billion (FY 2008)[1] |
| Total assets | ▼ US$53.8 Billion (FY 2008)[2] |
| Total equity | ▼ US$-1.29 Billion (FY 2008)[2] |
| Employees | ▼ 157,555 (10-31-2009)[3] |
| Divisions | Boeing Commercial Airplanes Boeing Defense, Space & Security Others |
| Subsidiaries | Aviall, Inc. Jeppesen Boeing Australia Boeing Canada Boeing Defence UK Boeing Store |
| Website | Boeing.com |
The Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois,[4] since 2001. Boeing is the largest global aircraft manufacturer by revenue, orders and deliveries, and the third largest aerospace and defense contractor in the world based on defense-related revenue.[5] Boeing is the largest exporter by value in the United States.[6] Its stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
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Contents
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Boeing was incorporated in Seattle, Washington by William E. Boeing, on July 15, 1916, as "Pacific Aero Products Co." following the June 15 maiden flight of one of the two "B&W" seaplanes built with the assistance of George Conrad Westervelt, a U.S. Navy engineer. Many of Boeing's early planes were seaplanes. On May 9, 1917, the company became the "Boeing Airplane Company". William E. Boeing had studied at Yale University and worked initially in the timber industry, where he became wealthy and acquired knowledge about wooden structures. This knowledge would prove invaluable in his subsequent design and assembly of airplanes.
In 1927 Boeing created an airline named Boeing Air Transport, which merged a year later with Pacific Air Transport and the Boeing Airplane Company. The company changed its name to United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1929 and acquired Pratt & Whitney, Hamilton Standard Propeller Company, and Chance Vought. United Aircraft then purchased National Air Transport in 1930.
In 1933 the revolutionary Boeing 247 was introduced, the first truly modern airliner. It was much faster, safer, and easier to fly than other passenger aircraft. For example, it was the first twin engine passenger aircraft that could fly on one engine. In an era of unreliable engines, this vastly improved flight safety. Boeing built the first sixty aircraft exclusively for its own airline operations. This badly hurt competing airlines, and was typical of the anti-competitive corporate behavior that the US government sought to prohibit at the time.
The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airlines and manufacturers from being under the same corporate umbrella, so the company split into three smaller companies - Boeing Airplane Company, United Airlines, and United Aircraft Corporation, the precursor to United Technologies. As a result, William Boeing sold off his shares.
Shortly after, an agreement with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was reached, to develop and build a commercial flying boat able to carry passengers on transoceanic routes. The first flight of the Boeing 314 Clipper was in June 1938. It was the largest civil aircraft of its time, with a capacity of 90 passengers on day flights, and of 40 passengers on night flights. One year later, the first regular passenger service from the US to the UK was inaugurated. Subsequently other routes were opened, so that soon Pan Am flew with the Boeing 314 to destinations all over the world.
In 1938, Boeing completed work on the Model 307 Stratoliner. This was the world’s first pressurized-cabin transport aircraft, and it was capable of cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 m). — above most weather disturbances.
During World War II, Boeing built a large number of bombers. Many of the workers were women whose husbands had gone to war. In the beginning of March 1944, production had been scaled up in such a manner that over 350 planes were built each month. To prevent an attack from the air, the manufacturing plants had been covered with greenery and farmland items. During these years of war the leading aircraft companies of the US cooperated. The Boeing-designed B-17 bomber was assembled also by Lockheed Aircraft Corp. and Douglas Aircraft Co., while the B-29 was assembled also by Bell Aircraft Co. and by Glenn L. Martin Company.
After the war, most orders of bombers were canceled and 70,000 people lost their jobs at Boeing. The company aimed to recover quickly by selling its Stratocruiser, a luxurious four-engine commercial airliner developed from the B-29. However, sales of this model were not as expected and Boeing had to seek other opportunities to overcome the situation. The company successfully sold military aircraft adapted for troop transportation and for aerial refueling.
Boeing developed military jets such as the B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress in the late-1940s and into the 1950s. During the early 1950s, Boeing used company funds to develop the 367-80 jet airliner demonstrator that lead to the KC-135 Stratotanker and Boeing 707 jetliner.
In the mid-1950s technology had advanced significantly, which gave Boeing the opportunity to develop and manufacture totally new products. One of the first was the guided short-range missile used to intercept enemy aircraft. By that time the Cold War had become a fact of life, and Boeing used its short-range missile technology to develop and build an intercontinental missile.
In 1958, Boeing began delivery of its 707, the United States' first commercial jet airliner, in response to the British De Havilland Comet, French Sud Aviation Caravelle and Soviet Tupolev Tu-104, which were the world’s first generation of commercial jet aircraft. With the 707, a four-engine, 156-passenger airliner, the US became a leader in commercial jet manufacture. A few years later, Boeing added a second version of this aircraft, the 720, which was slightly faster and had a shorter range.
Vertol Aircraft Corporation was acquired by Boeing in 1960,[7] and was reorganized as Boeing's Vertol division. The twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook, produced by Vertol, took its first flight in 1961. This heavy-lift helicopter remains a work-horse vehicle up to the present day. In 1964, Vertol also began production of the CH-46 Sea Knight.
In December 1960, Boeing announced the model 727 jetliner, which went into commercial service about three years later. Different passenger, freight and convertible freighter variants were developed for the 727. The 727 was the first commercial jetliner to reach 1000 sales, and a few years later the 1500 mark was reached.
In 1967, Boeing introduced another short- and medium-range airliner, the twin-engine 737. It has become since then the best-selling commercial jet aircraft in aviation history. The 737 is still being produced, and continuous improvements are made. Several versions have been developed, mainly to increase seating capacity and range.
The roll-out ceremonies for the first 747-100 took place in 1968, at the massive new factory in Everett, about an hour's drive from Boeing's Seattle home. The aircraft made its first flight a year later. The first commercial flight occurred in 1970. The 747 has an intercontinental range and a larger seating capacity than Boeing's previous aircraft.
Boeing also developed hydrofoils in the 1960s. The screw driven USS High Point (PCH-1) was an experimental submarine hunter. The patrol hydrofoil USS Tucumcari (PGH-2) was more successful. Only one was built, but it saw service in Vietnam and Europe before running aground in 1972. Its innovative waterjet[citation needed] and fully submersed flying foils were the model for the later Pegasus class patrol hydrofoils and the model 929 Jetfoil ferries in the 1980s. The Tucumcari and later boats were produced in Renton. While the Navy hydrofoils were withdrawn by the end of the 1980s, the swift and smooth Boeing Jetfoils are still in service in Asia.
In the beginning of the 1970s, Boeing faced a new crisis. The Apollo program, in which Boeing had participated significantly during the preceding decade, was almost entirely canceled. Once more, Boeing hoped to compensate with sales of its commercial airliners. At that time, however, there was a heavy recession in the airlines industry so that Boeing did not receive any orders for more than a year. Boeing's bet for the future, the new 747, while delayed in production by three months because of problems with its Pratt & Whitney engines. Another problem was that in 1971, the U.S. Congress decided to stop the financial support for the development of the supersonic 2707, Boeing's answer to the British-French Concorde, forcing the company to discontinue the project. The company had to reduce the number of employees from over 80,000 to almost half, only in the Seattle area.
In January 1970, the first 747, a four-engine long-range airliner, flew its first commercial flight. This famous aircraft completely changed the way of flying, with its 450-passenger seating capacity and its upper deck. Boeing has delivered nearly 1,400 747s. The 747 has undergone continuous improvements to keep it technologically up-to-date. Larger versions have also been developed by stretching the upper deck.
During the 1970s, Boeing also developed the US Standard Light Rail Vehicle which was used in San Francisco, Boston and Morgantown, WV.
In 1983, the economic situation began to improve. Boeing assembled its 1,000th 737 passenger airliner. During the following years, commercial aircraft and their military versions became the basic equipment of airlines and air forces. As passenger air traffic increased, competition was harder, mainly from Airbus, a European newcomer in commercial airliner manufacturing. Boeing had to offer new aircraft, and developed the single-aisle 757, the larger, twin-aisle 767, and upgraded versions of the 737. An important project of these years was the Space Shuttle, to which Boeing contributed with its experience in space rockets acquired during the Apollo era. Boeing participated also with other products in the space program, and was the first contractor for the International Space Station. At the same time, several military projects went into production, the Avenger air defense system and a new generation of short-range missiles. During these years, Boeing was very active in upgrading existing military equipment and developing new ones.
Boeing was one of seven competing companies that bid for the Advanced Tactical Fighter. Boeing agreed to team with General Dynamics and Lockheed, so that all three companies would participate in the development if one of the three company's design was selected. The Lockheed design was eventually selected and developed into the F-22 Raptor.[8]
In April 1994, Boeing introduced the most modern commercial jet aircraft at the time, the twin-engine 777, with a seating capacity of approximately 300 to 370 passengers in a typical three-class layout, in between the 767 and the 747. The longest range twin-engined aircraft in the world, the 777 was the first Boeing airliner to feature a "fly-by-wire" system and was conceived partly in response to the inroads being made by the European Airbus into Boeing’s traditional market. This aircraft reached an important milestone by being the first airliner to be designed entirely by using CAD techniques.[9] Also in the mid-1990s, the company developed the revamped version of the 737, known as the 737 "Next-Generation", or 737NG. It has since become the fastest-selling version of the 737 in history, and on April 20, 2006 sales passed those of the "Classic 737", with a follow-up order for 79 aircraft from Southwest Airlines.
In 1995 Boeing announced that the headquarters complex on East Marginal Way South would be demolished instead of being upgraded to match new seismic standards. Boeing scheduled demolition of the facility in 1996 and moved the headquarters to an adjacent building.[10] In 1997 Boeing's headquarter was located on East Marginal Way South, by King County Airport, in Seattle.[11]
In 1996, Boeing acquired Rockwell’s aerospace and defense units. The Rockwell business units became a subsidiary of Boeing, named Boeing North American, Inc. In August of the next year, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas in a US$13 billion stock swap under the name The Boeing Company. However this name had actually been Boeing's official name previously adapted on May 21, 1961.[12] Following the merger, the McDonnell Douglas MD-95 was renamed the Boeing 717, and the production of the MD-11 was limited to the freighter version. Boeing introduced a new corporate identity with completion of the merger, incorporating the Boeing logo type and a stylized version of the McDonnell Douglas symbol, which was derived from the Douglas Aircraft logo from the 1970s.
In September 2001, Boeing moved its corporate headquarters from Seattle to Chicago. Chicago, Dallas and Denver — vying to become the new home of the world’s largest aerospace concern — all had offered packages of multimillion-dollar tax breaks.[13] Its offices are located in Near North Side, Chicago.[4]
On October 10, 2001, Boeing lost to its rival Lockheed Martin in the fierce competition for the multi-billion dollar Joint Strike Fighter contract. Boeing’s entry, the X-32, was rejected in favor of Lockheed’s X-35 entrant. Boeing continues to serve as the prime contractor on the International Space Station and has built several of the major components.
After several decades of success, Boeing lost ground to Airbus and subsequently lost its position as market leader in 2003. Multiple Boeing projects were pursued and then canceled, notably the Sonic Cruiser, a proposed jetliner that would travel just under the speed of sound, cutting intercontinental travel times by as much as 20 percent. It was launched in 2001 along with a new advertising campaign to promote the company's new motto, "Forever New Frontiers", and to rehabilitate its image. However, the plane's fate was sealed by the changes in the commercial aviation market following the September 11 attacks and the subsequent weak economy and increase in fuel prices.
Subsequently, Boeing streamlined production and turned its attention to a new model, the 787 Dreamliner, using much of the technology developed for the Sonic Cruiser, but in a more conventional aircraft designed for maximum efficiency. The company also launched new variants of its successful 737 and 777 models. The 787 proved to be highly popular choice with airlines, and won a record number of pre-launch orders at a time in which Airbus was seen to be struggling with delays and cost overruns in producing its A380 superjumbo; at the same time, several airlines threatened to switch their A380 orders to Boeing's modernized version of the 747, the 747-8.[14] Airbus's response to the 787, the A350, received a lukewarm response at first when it was announced as an improved version of the A330, and only gained significant orders when Airbus promised an entirely new design. The 787 has encountered delays in coming to production, with the first flight not occurring until late 2009, more than two years late. Production will be increased to 10 Boeing 787s per month by 2013.[15]
In 2004, Boeing ended production of the 757 after 1055 were produced. More advanced, stretched versions of the 737 were beginning to compete against the 757, and the new 787-3 filled much of the top end of the 757 market. Also that year, Boeing announced that the 717, the last civil aircraft to be designed by McDonnell Douglas, would cease production in 2006. The 767 was in danger of cancellation as well, with the 787 replacing it, but orders for the freighter version extended the program.
In May 2005, Boeing announced its intent to form a joint venture, United Launch Alliance with its competitor Lockheed Martin. The new venture will be the largest provider of rocket launch services to the US government. The joint venture gained regulatory approval and completed the formation on December 1, 2006.[16]
On August 2, 2005, Boeing sold its Rocketdyne rocket engine division to Pratt & Whitney. On May 1, 2006, Boeing announced that it had reached a definitive agreement to purchase Dallas, Texas-based Aviall, Inc. for $1.7 billion and retain $350 million in debt. Aviall, Inc. and its subsidiaries, Aviall Services, Inc. and ILS formed a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services (BCAS).[17]
On August 18, 2007, NASA announced that Boeing would be the manufacturing contractor for the liquid-fueled upper stage of the Ares I rocket. The stage, based on both Apollo-Saturn and Space Shuttle technologies, will be constructed at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, the same site where Boeing constructed the massive S-IC stage of the Saturn V rocket in the 1960s.
In May 2003, the US Air Force announced it would lease 100 KC-767 tankers to replace the oldest 136 of its KC-135s. The 10 year lease would give the USAF the option to purchase the aircraft at the end of the contract. In November 2003, responding to critics who argued that the lease was vastly more expensive than an outright purchase, the DOD announced a revised lease of 20 aircraft and purchase of 80.
In December 2003, the Pentagon announced the project was to be frozen while an investigation of allegations of corruption by one of its former procurement staffers, Darleen Druyun (who began employment at Boeing in January) was begun. The fallout of this resulted in the resignation of Boeing CEO Philip M. Condit and the termination of CFO Michael M. Sears.[18] Harry Stonecipher, former McDonnell Douglas CEO and Boeing COO, replaced Condit on an interim basis.
Druyun pleaded guilty to inflating the price of the contract to favor her future employer and to passing information on the competing Airbus A330 MRTT bid (from EADS). In October 2004, she was sentenced to nine months in jail for corruption, fined $5,000, given three years of supervised release and 150 hours of community service.
In March 2005, the Boeing board forced President and CEO Harry Stonecipher to resign. Boeing said an internal investigation revealed a "consensual" relationship between Stonecipher and a female executive that was "inconsistent with Boeing's Code of Conduct" and "would impair his ability to lead the company".[19] James A. Bell served as interim CEO (in addition to his normal duties as Boeing’s CFO) until the appointment of Jim McNerney as the new Chairman, President, and CEO on June 30, 2005.
In June 2003, Lockheed Martin sued Boeing, alleging that the company had resorted to industrial espionage in 1998 to win the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) competition. Lockheed claimed that the former employee Kenneth Branch, who went to work for McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, passed 25,000 proprietary documents to his new employers. Lockheed argued that these documents allowed Boeing to win 21 of the 28 tendered military satellite launches.
In July 2003, Boeing was penalized, with the Pentagon stripping $1 billion worth of contracts away from the company and awarding them to Lockheed Martin. Furthermore, the company was forbidden to bid for rocket contracts for a twenty-month period, which expired in March 2005.
In early September 2005, it was reported that Boeing was negotiating a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in which it would pay up to $500 million to cover this and the Darleen Druyun scandal.[20]
After Italy purchased, in December 2002, four aerial refueling tankers from Boeing, the first was scheduled to be delivered in November 2008. The second was slated for delivery in December 2008, some three years late. Boeing expects the third and fourth tankers to be delivered at least 16 months and 12 months late, respectively. Boeing and Italy are negotiating on the penalty Boeing will have to pay for the late deliveries. According to Boeing, the factors contributing to the delay included design changes, expanded US flight testing, greater-than-expected challenges to software integration, and the complexity of getting the tanker ready for certification by the Federal Aviation Administration.[21]
Boeing's late delivery of a tanker to Japan in 2007 incurred a penalty "well under $5 million" according to Boeing.[21] Boeing delivered the third aircraft to Japan in March 2009 and the last aircraft is to be delivered in early 2010.[22]
On March 1, 2008 the U.S. Air Force announced one of the largest military acquisition programs in U.S. history, saying the service had chosen Northrop Grumman over Boeing to replace its aging air refueling tanker fleet.[23] Northrop's partner in the deal is Boeing arch-rival Airbus and its parent company, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), the latter promised a plane assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama to support the bid.[23]
Until the late 70s the US had an almost de facto monopoly in the Large Civil Aircraft (LCA) sector. The Airbus consortium (created in 1969) started competing effectively in the 80s. At that stage the US became concerned about the European competition and the alleged subsidies paid by the European governments for the developments of the early models of the Airbus family. This became a major issue of contention, as the European side was equally concerned by subsidies accruing to US LCA manufacturers through NASA and Defense programs.
The EU and the US started bilateral negotiations for the limitation of government subsidies to the LCA sector in the late 1980s. Negotiations were concluded in 1992 with the signature of the EC-US Agreement on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft which imposes disciplines on government support on both sides of the Atlantic which are significantly stricter than the relevant WTO rules: Notably, the Agreement regulates in detail the forms and limits of government support, prescribes transparency obligations and commits the parties to avoiding trade disputes.[24]
In 2004 the EU and the US agreed to discuss a possible revision of the 1992 EU-US Agreement provided that this would cover all forms of subsidies including those used in the US, and in particular the subsidies for the Boeing 787; the first new aircraft to be launched by Boeing for 14 years. October 2004, the US began legal proceedings at the World Trade Organization by requesting WTO consultations on European launch investment to Airbus. The US also unilaterally withdrew from the 1992 EU-US Agreement.[25]
In October 2004, Boeing filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO), claiming that Airbus had violated a 1992 bilateral accord when it received what Boeing deems as “unfair” subsidies from several European governments. Airbus retaliated by filing another complaint, contesting that Boeing had also violated the accord when it received tax breaks from the U.S. Government. Moreover, the E.U. also complained that the investment subsidies from Japanese airlines violated the accord.
On January 11, 2005, Boeing and Airbus agreed that they would attempt to find a solution to the dispute outside of the WTO.
However, in June 2005, Boeing and the United States government reopened the trade dispute with the WTO, claiming that Airbus had received illegal subsidies from European governments. Airbus has also retaliated against Boeing, reopening the dispute and also accusing Boeing of receiving subsidies from the US government.[26]
Boeing has recently achieved several consecutive launches, beginning with the formal launch of the 787 for delivery to All Nippon Airways and Air New Zealand. Rollout of the first 787 occurred on July 8, 2007, with the first flight taking place on December 15, 2009.
Boeing also received the launch contract from the US Navy for the P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft, an anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft. Several orders for the Wedgetail AEW&C airplanes are expected as well.
Boeing launched the 777 Freighter in May 2005 with an order from Air France. The freighter variant is based on the -200LR. Other customers include FedEx, Emirates Airline, and Air Atlanta Icelandic. Boeing has achieved above projected orders for its 787 Dreamliner, outselling the rival Airbus A350.
Boeing officially announced in November 2005 that it would produce a larger variant of the 747, the 747-8, in two models, commencing with the Freighter model for two cargo carriers with firm orders for the aircraft. The second model, dubbed the Intercontinental, would be produced for passenger airlines that Boeing expected would place orders in the near future. Both models of the 747-8 would feature a lengthened fuselage, new, advanced engines and wings, and the incorporation of other technologies developed for the 787.
Boeing has also introduced new extended range versions of the 737. These include the 737-700ER and 737-900ER. The 737-900ER is the latest and will extend the range of the 737-900 to a similar range as the successful 737-800 with the capability to fly more passengers, due to the addition of two extra emergency exits.
The 777-200LR Worldliner embarked on a well-received global demonstration tour in the second half of 2005, showing off its capacity to fly farther than any other commercial aircraft. On November 10, 2005, the 777-200LR set a world record for the longest non-stop flight. The plane, which departed from Hong Kong traveling to London, took a longer route, which included flying over the U.S. It flew 11,664 nautical miles (21,601 km) during its 22-hour 42-minute flight. It was flown by Pakistan International Airlines pilots and PIA was the first airline to fly the 777-200LR Worldliner.
Realizing that increasing numbers of passengers have become reliant on their computers to stay in touch, Boeing introduced Connexion by Boeing, a satellite based Internet connectivity service that promised air travelers unprecedented access to the World Wide Web. The company debuted the product to journalists in 2005, receiving generally favorable reviews. However, facing competition from cheaper options, such as cellular networks, it proved too difficult to sell to most airlines. In August 2006, after a short and unsuccessful search for a buyer for the business, Boeing chose to discontinue the service.[27][28]
Boeing jointly with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), were the prime contractors in the U.S. military's Future Combat Systems program.[29] The FCS program was canceled in June 2009 with all remaining systems swept into the BCT Modernization program.[30]
Boeing will work jointly with SAIC in the BCT Modernization program like the FCS program but the U.S. Army will play a greater role in creating baseline vehicles and will only contract others for accessories.
On August 11, 2006, Boeing announced an agreement to form a joint-venture with the large Russian titanium producer, VSMPO-Avisma for the machining of titanium forgings.[31] On December 27, 2007 Boeing and VSMPO-Avisma created a joint venture Ural Boeing Manufacturing and signed a contract on titanium products deliveries until 2015, with Boeing planning to invest 27 billion dollars in Russia over the next 30 years.[32]
In May 2006, four concept designs being examined by Boeing were outlined in the The Seattle Times based on corporate internal documents.[33] The research aims in two directions: low-cost airplanes, and environmental-friendly planes. Codenamed after the well-known Muppets a design team known as the Green Team concentrated primarily on reducing fuel usage. All four designs illustrated rear-engine layouts.
As with most concepts, these designs are only in the exploratory stage intended to help Boeing evaluate the potentials of such radical technologies.[33]
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' shift in defense spending to "make tough choices about specific systems and defense priorities based solely on the national interest and then stick to those decisions over time"[34] hit Boeing especially hard, because of their heavy involvement with canceled Air Force projects.[35]
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts have listed Boeing as the thirteenth-largest corporate producer of air pollution in the United States based on 2002 data.[36] According to the Center for Public Integrity, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has linked Boeing to more than twenty Superfund toxic waste sites.[37] In 2006, the UCLA Center for Environmental Risk Reduction released a study showing that Boeing's Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Ventura, California had been contaminated with toxic and radioactive waste. The study found that air, soil, groundwater, and surface water at the site all contained radionuclides, toxic metals, and dioxins; air and water additionally contained perchlorate, TCE, and hydrazines, while water showed the presence of PCBs as well.[38]
The airline industry is responsible for about 11 percent of greenhouse gases emitted by the U.S. transportation sector.[39] Aviation's share of the greenhouse gas emissions is poised to grow, as air travel increases and ground vehicles use more alternative fuels like ethanol and biodiesel.[39] Boeing estimates that biofuels could reduce flight-related greenhouse-gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent.[39] The solution would be blending algae fuels with existing jet fuel.[39]
Boeing executives said the company is informally collaborating with leading Brazilian biofuels maker Tecbio, Aquaflow Bionomic of New Zealand and other fuel developers around the world. So far, Boeing has tested six fuels from these companies, and will probably have gone through 20 fuels "by the time we're done evaluating them."[39] Boeing is joining other aviation-related members in the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO).[40]
Air New Zealand and Boeing are researching the jatropha plant to see if it is a sustainable alternative to conventional fuel.[41] A two-hour test flight using a 50-50 mixture of the new biofuel with Jet A-1 in the number one position Rolls Royce RB-211 engine of 747-400 ZK-NBS, was successfully completed on 30 December 2008. The engine was then removed to be scrutinised and studied to identify any differences between the Jatropha blend and regular Jet A1. No effects to performances were found.
Boeing lobby expenditures in 2007 thus far total $4.14 million.[42] In 2006, total of $9.12 million was spent. And in return Boeing received $15.3 billion in long-term loan guarantees in 2007 and 2008 from the Export-Import Bank of the United States in spite of being one of the top companies in the Federal Contractor Misconduct Database.[43]
In April 2009, BusinessWeek magazine reported that Boeing was one of 25 US companies that paid the least US taxes. Based on the magazine's analysis of company financial records for 2005 to 2008, Boeing paid an average annual tax rate of 3.2 percent, much less than the standard 35 percent corporate tax rate.[44]
The two largest divisions are Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS). BDS is Boeing's defense, space, and security division.[45]
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