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.
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.
On April 26, 1917, the name was changed to the Boeing Airplane Company, marking a significant milestone in the company's history.
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.
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.
Boeing Air Transport, which merged with Pacific Air Transport and the Boeing Airplane Company, conducted its first airmail flight on July 1, 1927.
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.
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.
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.
The B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range strategic bomber, had its first flight in 1952.
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.
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.
On May 21, 1961, Boeing changed its name from Boeing Airplane Company to the current 'Boeing Company'.
The H-47 Chinook, a twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter, made its first flight in 1962.
The 727 trijet entered service in 1964, contributing to the advancement of commercial aviation.
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.
In 1967, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas, a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation, expanding its influence in the industry.
The 737 twinjet entered service in 1968, becoming the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft by the end of the 20th century.
Airbus was formed as a consortium of European aerospace companies in 1970, marking the beginning of competition for Boeing in the commercial aircraft industry.
The B-1B Lancer, a supersonic bomber, made its first flight in 1972.
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.
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.
Boeing's work on missiles also resulted in the development of the AGM-86B/C air-launched cruise missile, deployed in 1982.
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.
The AH-64 Apache, a versatile attack helicopter, made its first flight in 1984.
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.
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.
The C-17 Globemaster III, a large military transport aircraft, was introduced in 1995.
Boeing announced its acquisition of Rockwell's aerospace and defense units, which became a subsidiary of Boeing, named Boeing North American, Inc.
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.
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.
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.
Boeing expanded its presence in the aerospace field of satellite communications by purchasing Hughes Electronics.
Air Force One, the official aircraft of the President of the United States, played a significant role during the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
The E-7 Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft was introduced in 2002.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Details about Boeing orders and deliveries were accessed.
Boeing introduced the innovative Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2011, featuring advanced composite materials and setting new standards in aviation technology and design.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In May 2023, Boeing acquired autonomous eVTOL air taxi startup Wisk Aero. This acquisition marked Boeing's entry into the advanced air mobility sector.
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.