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Boeing
The Boeing Company NYSE: BA is the leading American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with its largest production facilities in Everett, Washington, near Seattle, Washington. It is also the second-largest defense contractor in the world [1], the second-largest civil aircraft manufacturer, after Airbus, and the largest exporter in the United States. Boeing's stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Boeing's two principal divisions are Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), responsible for military and space products, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), responsible for civil airliners.
In recent years Boeing has faced an increasingly competitive Airbus, which offers commonality between models and the latest fly-by-wire technology. From the 1970s Airbus has increased its family of aircraft to the point where they can now offer an aircraft in every class Boeing does. Indeed Airbus is now competing in markets that Boeing once had a monopoly over, e.g. the A320 has been selected by two low-cost operators (the aircraft used by these airlines has traditionally been the 737) and the very large aircraft market, the A380 has won every major order over the 747 since its launch. The 747 is also being cannibalized by healthy sales of Boeing's own competitor, the 777-300 Series.
Currently, Boeing is planning to introduce two new aircraft, the 787 "Dreamliner", and the ultra-long-range 777-200LR. The Boeing 787 was formerly known as the Boeing 7E7, but the designation has since been changed. The Boeing 777-200LR will have the longest range of any commercial aircraft, and will be the first airliner to able to fly halfway across the planet with a commercially viable payload. The 777-200LR has already entered flight-testing, with the first aircraft due to be delivered to Pakistan International Airlines in 2006.
In 2004, Boeing canceled production of the 757 after more than a thousand were produced, with the last airplane going to Shanghai Airlines, in China. More advanced versions of the 737 were beginning to compete against the older design. Boeing also soon canceled the production of 717 due to slow sales, and the 767 is likely to cease production soon. However, if Boeing manages to win the contract for new USAF tankers, the 767 program might be saved. Boeing also plans to a '747 Advanced' that will compete more closely with the Airbus A380. The aircraft was informally announced at the 2005 Paris Airshow.