Do we like Boeing?
Makes commercial jets, military aircraft and space systems; headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, US.
Our score: 4 out of 10. Not yet. The new CEO is making progress, but two fatal 737 MAX crashes, repeated safety violations and a soft deal with prosecutors mean Boeing still has trust to earn back.
Boeing is a US aerospace giant. Kelly Ortberg, a long-time aerospace executive, has been CEO since 2024. He joined from RTX, where he had run Collins Aerospace, and his job is to repair Boeing after years of crises.
The dark centrepiece is the 737 MAX. Two crashes killed 346 people. The DOJ said Boeing misled regulators about a flight-control system, and later said Boeing had breached its 2021 deal. In 2025 a Texas judge dismissed the criminal case at the DOJ's request, saying the agreement fell short on accountability.
The safety problems haven't gone away. Boeing paid a $3.1m FAA fine over hundreds of quality violations, which the FAA said included presenting two unairworthy aircraft. The FAA also said a Boeing employee pressured a colleague doing FAA work to sign off on a 737 MAX. Senator Blumenthal called the fine too small to deter.
There are signs of recovery. In July 2026 the FAA said Boeing could again issue airworthiness certificates for all 737 MAX and 787 aircraft, after months of review showing consistent production quality. FAA inspectors will keep auditing Boeing's production system.
Workers have pushed back hard. St. Louis machinists struck for 101 days in 2025 before accepting a fifth offer. In 2026 engineers rejected a first offer, then ratified a four-year deal with a 10% raise. We give it a 4: the crash and safety record weigh heavily, and the turnaround is still unfinished.