defense systems and the warfighter through network-centric operations; creating advanced technology solutions that reach across business units; e-enabling airplanes and providing connectivity on moving platforms; and arranging financing solutions.

Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 160,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries.

Boeing in Brief

Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing operates the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales.

Boeing has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. The company continues to expand its product line and services to meet emerging customer needs. The broad range of capabilities includes creating new, more efficient members of its commercial airplane family; integrating military platforms, defense systems and the warfighter through network-centric operations; creating advanced technology solutions; and arranging innovative customer-financing solutions.

Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 160,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries, with major operations in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, southern California and St. Louis. Total company revenues for 2008 were $60.9 billion.

Boeing is organized into two business units: Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Supporting these units is Boeing Capital Corporation, a global provider of financing solutions; the Shared Services Group, which provides a broad range of services to Boeing worldwide; and Boeing Engineering, Operations & Technology, which helps develop, acquire, apply and protect innovative technologies and processes.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing has been the premier manufacturer of commercial jetliners for more than 40 years. With the merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas in 1997, Boeing's leadership in commercial jets, joined with the lineage of Douglas airplanes, gives the combined company a 70-year heritage of leadership in commercial aviation. Today, the main commercial products are the 737, 747, 767 and 777 families of airplanes and the Boeing Business Jet. New product development efforts are focused on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the 747-8. The company has nearly 12,000 commercial jetliners in service worldwide, which is roughly 75 percent of the world fleet. Through Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, the company provides unsurpassed, around-the-clock technical support to help operators maintain their airplanes in peak operating condition. Commercial Aviation Services offers a full range of world-class engineering, modification, logistics and information services to its global customer base, which includes the world's passenger and cargo airlines, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities. Boeing also trains maintenance and flight crews in the 100-seat-and-above airliner market through Alteon, the world's largest and most comprehensive provider of airline training.

Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) provides end-to-end services for large-scale systems that enhance air-, land-, sea- and space-based platforms for global military, government and commercial customers. In addition to designing, producing, modifying and supporting fighters, bombers, transports, rotorcraft, aerial refuelers, missiles, munitions and spacecraft for military, civil and commercial use, IDS is developing enhanced capabilities through network-centric operations, communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies. IDS also supports the U.S. government as a system integrator on several programs of national significance -- NASA's space shuttle and International Space Station programs, the Missile Defense Agency's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program, the Army's Future Combat Systems program and SBInet, a critical component of the Secure Border Initiative managed by the Department of Homeland Security.

Boeing Capital Corporation
Boeing Capital Corporation is a global provider of financing solutions. Working closely with Commercial Airplanes and Integrated Defense Systems, Boeing Capital Corporation arranges, structures and/or provides financing to facilitate the sale and delivery of Boeing commercial and military aircraft, satellites and launch vehicles. With a year-end 2008 portfolio of approximately $6.0 billion, Boeing Capital Corporation combines Boeing's financial strength and global reach, detailed knowledge of Boeing customers and equipment, and the expertise of a seasoned group of financial professionals.

Shared Services Group
Shared Services Group allows business units to focus on profitable growth by providing the infrastructure services required to run their global operations. The group provides a broad range of services worldwide, including facilities services, employee benefits and services, staffing, recruitment, wellness programs, enterprise help desk, security, fire protection, site operations, disaster preparedness, construction, reclamation, conservation programs, virtual workplace, creative services, transportation, business continuity and the purchase of all non-production goods and services. It also offers comprehensive travel services to Boeing employees and corporate customers through the Boeing Travel Management Company. In addition, Shared Services Group manages the sale and acquisition of all leased and owned property through the Boeing Realty. By integrating services, Shared Services Group delivers greater value, creates "lean" processes and operations, leverages buying power and simplifies access to services for all of Boeing.

Engineering, Operations & Technology
Boeing Engineering, Operations & Technology supports Boeing's business units and growth strategy by providing the right people, technologies, processes and performance at the right time and in the right place across the company worldwide. This strategy is delivered in various ways by the primary organizational groups -- Research & Technology, Intellectual Property Management, and Information Technology, and its leadership role in the Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Information Technology process councils. Through all its activities, Engineering, Operations & Technology helps ensure the future success of Boeing by winning strategic new programs, providing innovative technology and process solutions, transforming Boeing into a global network-centric enterprise, enhancing and protecting the company's intellectual capital, and fostering a culture of innovation.

History

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.