Last Updated:

2024-02-29 00:08:07

Boeing

American aerospace corporation

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American aerospace corporation

Boeing, founded in 1916, is a major aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor. It offers a wide range of products and services globally, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. The company's divisions include Commercial Airplanes, Defense, Space & Security, and Global Services. Boeing is a significant player in the aerospace industry, known for its innovation and export value.

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1916-07-15

Boeing Company Founded

The Boeing Company was founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington, on July 15, 1916. It started as the Pacific Aero Products Company and has since become a major player in the aviation industry.

1917-04-26

Boeing Airplane Company established

On April 26, 1917, the name was changed to the Boeing Airplane Company, marking a significant milestone in the company's history.

1923

Boeing Model 15 fighter developed

Boeing entered competition to develop a pursuit fighter for the U.S. Army Air Service, leading to the development of the Boeing Model 15 fighter, which contributed to the company's success in the next decade.

1925

Boeing Model 40 mail airplane built

Boeing built its Model 40 mail airplane for the U.S. government, which later won the U.S. Post Office's contract to deliver mail between San Francisco and Chicago.

1927-07-01

Boeing Air Transport's first airmail flight

Boeing Air Transport, which merged with Pacific Air Transport and the Boeing Airplane Company, conducted its first airmail flight on July 1, 1927.

1928-07-27

Boeing 80 biplane's first flight

The 12-passenger Boeing 80 biplane made its first flight on July 27, 1928, marking a milestone as Boeing's first plane built with the sole intention of being a passenger transport.

1929

United Aircraft and Transport Corporation

In 1929, the company was renamed United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, following the acquisition of several aircraft makers and the formation of a major aviation entity.

1943

Development of Gas Turbine Engine

Boeing started development on the gas turbine engine, which led to the production of various models such as 502 (T50), 520 (T60), 540, 551, and 553. The engines were a significant effort to expand Boeing's product base beyond military aircraft after World War II.

1952

First Flight of B-52 Stratofortress

The B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range strategic bomber, had its first flight in 1952.

1958

Boeing 707 Delivery

In 1958, Boeing began delivery of its 707, the United States' first commercial jet airliner. This marked a significant milestone in the history of commercial aviation.

1960

Boeing purchases Vertol Corporation

In 1960, Boeing purchased Vertol Corporation, then the world’s largest independent manufacturer of helicopters, which later focused on tandem-rotor helicopters and was responsible for the development of the CH-47 Chinook and CH-46 Sea Knight military transport helicopters.

1961-05-21

Change of Name to Boeing Company

On May 21, 1961, Boeing changed its name from Boeing Airplane Company to the current 'Boeing Company'.

1962

H-47 Chinook First Flight

The H-47 Chinook, a twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter, made its first flight in 1962.

1964

Boeing 727 enters commercial service

The 727 trijet entered service in 1964, contributing to the advancement of commercial aviation.

1966

Production of Boeing 747 Airliner

Boeing president William M. Allen asked Malcolm T. Stamper to spearhead production of the new 747 airliner, which was a monumental engineering and management challenge. This included the construction of the world's biggest factory in Everett, Washington.

1967

Merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas

In 1967, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas, a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation, expanding its influence in the industry.

1968

Boeing 737 enters commercial service

The 737 twinjet entered service in 1968, becoming the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft by the end of the 20th century.

1970

Formation of Airbus

Airbus was formed as a consortium of European aerospace companies in 1970, marking the beginning of competition for Boeing in the commercial aircraft industry.

1972

First Flight of B-1B Lancer

The B-1B Lancer, a supersonic bomber, made its first flight in 1972.

1976

Boeing develops Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)

In 1976, Boeing was selected to develop the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), a two-stage payload delivery vehicle that can be taken into space by either a space shuttle or a launcher such as the Titan.

1978

Boeing's Entry into Smaller Widebody Market

During the 1970s, Boeing focused on expanding its jumbo jet business and did not enter the smaller widebody market until it launched the 767-200 in 1978.

1982

Boeing develops AGM-86B/C air-launched cruise missile

Boeing's work on missiles also resulted in the development of the AGM-86B/C air-launched cruise missile, deployed in 1982.

1983-06

Special Report on Boeing 757

A special report was published in 1983, providing an in-depth look at the conception, design, manufacture, marketing, and delivery of the new jetliner, the Boeing 757.

1984

AH-64 Apache First Flight

The AH-64 Apache, a versatile attack helicopter, made its first flight in 1984.

1992

Signing of EC-US Agreement on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft

In 1992, the EC-US Agreement on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft was signed, imposing disciplines on government support for the LCA sector on both sides of the Atlantic.

1993

Boeing becomes prime contractor for the ISS

In 1993, NASA selected Boeing as the prime contractor for the ISS, and two years later the company became responsible for the integration and verification of ISS systems and the design, analysis, manufacture, verification, and delivery of the American components of the station.

1995

Introduction of C-17 Globemaster III

The C-17 Globemaster III, a large military transport aircraft, was introduced in 1995.

1996-12-05

Boeing Acquisition of Rockwell's Aerospace and Defense Units

Boeing announced its acquisition of Rockwell's aerospace and defense units, which became a subsidiary of Boeing, named Boeing North American, Inc.

1997-08-01

Boeing merges with McDonnell Douglas

The present corporation of Boeing is the result of the merger with McDonnell Douglas on August 1, 1997. This merger led to the formation of a combined company with new leadership.

1997-08-04

Merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas

Boeing announced its intention to merge with McDonnell Douglas, which was completed on August 4, 1997, following regulatory approval. The merger was delayed by objections from the European Commission.

1999-05

Boeing's Study of Buying Embraer

Boeing studied buying Embraer to encourage commonality between the E-Jets and the Boeing 717, but this plan was nixed by then-president Harry Stonecipher.

2000-01

Boeing's Purchase of Hughes Electronics

Boeing expanded its presence in the aerospace field of satellite communications by purchasing Hughes Electronics.

2001-09-11

Air Force One During 9/11 Attacks

Air Force One, the official aircraft of the President of the United States, played a significant role during the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

2002

Introduction of E-7 AEW&C

The E-7 Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft was introduced in 2002.

2003-06

Lockheed Martin's industrial espionage lawsuit against Boeing

In June 2003, Lockheed Martin sued Boeing, alleging industrial espionage in 1998 to win the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) competition. This resulted in penalties for Boeing and a period of prohibition from bidding for rocket contracts.

2003-12

Freezing of KC-767 tanker project

In December 2003, the U.S. Air Force announced the freezing of the KC-767 tanker project due to allegations of corruption by a former procurement staffer, Darleen Druyun, who had begun employment at Boeing in January. This led to the resignation of Boeing CEO Philip M. Condit and the termination of CFO Michael M. Sears.

2004

Subsidy disputes between EU and the U.S.

In 2004, the EU and the U.S. engaged in subsidy disputes, discussing a possible revision of the 1992 EC-US Agreement and initiating legal proceedings at the WTO regarding subsidies to Airbus and Boeing.

2005-05

Launch of Boeing 777 Freighter

Boeing launched the 777 Freighter in May 2005 with an order from Air France, based on the −200LR, and later received orders from FedEx and Emirates.

2005-09

Negotiation of settlement for industrial espionage and Darleen Druyun scandal

In early September 2005, Boeing was reported to be negotiating a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to pay up to $500 million to cover the industrial espionage and the Darleen Druyun scandal.

2006-08-11

Formation of joint-venture with VSMPO-Avisma

Boeing agreed to form a joint-venture with the large Russian titanium producer, VSMPO-Avisma, in August 2006 for the machining of titanium forgings to be used on the 787 program.

2006-12-01

Formation of United Launch Alliance

Boeing formed a joint venture, United Launch Alliance, with its competitor Lockheed Martin on December 1, 2006, becoming the largest provider of rocket launch services to the U.S. government.

2007-08-18

Boeing selected as manufacturing contractor for Ares I rocket

NASA selected Boeing as the manufacturing contractor for the liquid-fueled upper stage of the Ares I rocket on August 18, 2007, based on both Apollo-Saturn and Space Shuttle technologies.

2009-09-30

Boeing Orders and Deliveries

Details about Boeing orders and deliveries were accessed.

2011-12-15

Introduction of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing introduced the innovative Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2011, featuring advanced composite materials and setting new standards in aviation technology and design.

2013-01

Global Grounding of Boeing 787s

In January 2013, all 787s in operation worldwide were temporarily grounded following an airworthiness directive issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to a potential risk for battery fire. This directive was adopted by regulators globally, impacting the aviation industry.

2014

Boeing awarded commercial spaceflight contract

In 2014, NASA awarded a commercial spaceflight contract to Boeing to finish the development of its CST-100 spacecraft to carry crews to the ISS.

2015

Boeing patents force field technology

In 2015, Boeing patented its own force field technology, also known as the shock wave attenuation system, that would protect vehicles from shock waves generated by nearby explosions. Boeing has yet to confirm when they plan to build and test the technology.

2017-10

Boeing acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences

In October 2017, Boeing announced plans to acquire Aurora Flight Sciences to expand its capabilities in developing autonomous, electric-powered, and long-flight-duration aircraft for commercial and military purposes.

2018-06-04

Boeing and Safran Partnership Announcement

Boeing and Safran announced a 50-50 partnership to design, build, and service auxiliary power units (APU) after regulatory and antitrust clearance in the second half of 2018. This partnership could challenge the dominance of Honeywell and United Technologies in the APU market.

2018-07-05

Boeing and Embraer Joint Venture Announcement

Boeing and Embraer announced a joint venture covering Embraer's airliner business. This move is seen as a response to Airbus acquiring a majority of the competing Bombardier CSeries on October 16, 2017.

2019-03-10

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 Crash

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed just minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa. This incident led to the grounding of all 737 MAX aircraft by numerous countries and airlines.

2019-03-19

U.S. Department of Transportation Audit Request

On March 19, 2019, the U.S. Department of Transportation requested an audit of the regulatory process that led to the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX in 2017, amid concerns about the self-certification of aircraft.

2019-04-23

Boeing Involvement in Chinese Mass Surveillance

The Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing, SSL, and The Carlyle Group had been assisting the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army in enabling mass surveillance on ethnic groups and providing high-speed internet access to artificial islands in the South China Sea through the use of new satellites.

2019-07-18

Boeing Second-Quarter Results Announcement

During the presentation of its second-quarter results, Boeing announced a $4.9 billion after-tax charge corresponding to the cost of compensation to airlines for the 737 MAX groundings, along with a $1.7 billion rise in estimated MAX production costs.

2019-11-18

Boeing and Embraer Joint Venture for C-390 Millennium Tactical Transport Aircraft

Boeing (49%) and Embraer (51%) announced a joint venture to market the C-390 Millennium tactical transport aircraft, called Boeing Embraer – Defense, to operate after regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

2020-08-18

Boeing CEO announces further job cuts

On August 18, 2020, CEO Dave Calhoun announced further job cuts at Boeing. This decision reflected the company's response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Boeing 737 MAX groundings.

2020-10-28

Boeing lays off nearly 30,000 employees

On October 28, 2020, nearly 30,000 employees were laid off at Boeing. This action was taken as the airplane manufacturer was increasingly losing money due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022-05-05

Boeing Headquarters Relocation Announcement

Boeing announced that it would be moving its global headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia, and plans to add a research and technology center in Northern Virginia.

2023-02

Boeing announces plans for laying off approximately 2,000 workers

In February 2023, Boeing announced plans for laying off approximately 2,000 of its workers from finances and human resources. This decision reflected the company's strategic restructuring.

2023-05

Boeing acquires autonomous eVTOL air taxi startup Wisk Aero

In May 2023, Boeing acquired autonomous eVTOL air taxi startup Wisk Aero. This acquisition marked Boeing's entry into the advanced air mobility sector.

2024-03-13

Boeing After the 737 Max Crashes

A brief overview of what has transpired with Boeing since the tragic 2018 and 2019 crashes involving the 737 Max, including the recent incident with Alaska Airlines.

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Boeing