The Boeing Company

NASA and Boeing are in talks about using Boeing's Starliner vehicle to handle 10 or more new flights to low-Earth orbit in the coming years, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The Starliner has not flown since summer 2024, when performance problems including failed thrusters that posed safety risks left two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station for months; the astronauts returned to Earth on SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle, and the Starliner came back empty. SpaceX's Crew Dragon has been the only certified vehicle to carry NASA astronauts to the space station from the U.S., but SpaceX has stopped making new Dragon ships and has not said publicly when it plans to stop operating the ship. NASA said Friday it awarded SpaceX three additional astronaut missions to the space station using Crew Dragon, flights worth an average of $315M each and running through 2030. Few other options exist for flights to low-Earth orbit: Northrop Grumman has a cargo capsule that flies to the space station for NASA but not a human-rated one, while Russia flies vehicles to the ISS that handle crews and cargo.

GE Aerospace said a durability issue found in the GE9X engine is not expected to affect the planned entry into service of Boeing's 777X aircraft next year, according to comments made Thursday at a Morgan Stanley conference. The problem centers on the engine's mid-seal, a component linking the front and rear sections of the GE9X, where testing showed the original design did not meet durability expectations. Engines fitted with a redesigned seal began shipping to Boeing during the third quarter, and Federal Aviation Administration certification is anticipated within the next few months. GE Aerospace first disclosed the potential problem in February and later said it had identified the root cause and completed a corrective design without changing the overall timeline for the GE9X program. Separately, the company said its recently agreed $11.75 billion acquisition of Consolidated Precision Products is intended to strengthen supplies of precision-cast engine components and should not be viewed as a broader shift toward vertical integration across its aerospace operations.

The State Department has approved two potential arms sales to Saudi Arabia totaling $5.75 billion, split between a $5 billion package of JDAM-ER guidance kits and bombs and a separate $750 million deal for AGT-1500 tank engines. The JDAM package consists of 5,004 KMU-572 and 5,000 KMU-556 JDAM guidance kits and 5,004 BLU-111 and 5,000 BLU-117 bombs, with Boeing identified as principal contractor for the JDAM-ERs and Honeywell handling the engines. The State Department said the sales would strengthen Saudi Arabia's airborne defense capabilities and improve interoperability with U.S. and Gulf partner forces. For Boeing, the deal is modest against its roughly $85 billion Defense, Space and Security backlog, of which international orders already account for 27%, and the segment reported a second-quarter operating loss largely on charges tied to the VC-25B Air Force One program. For Honeywell Aerospace, the smaller AGT-1500 contract fits its established defense propulsion business and adds to an international defense business that makes up about 30% of its total Defense and Space revenue. Neither potential sale is large enough to meaningfully affect either company's short-term results on its own.

Boeing has received a $112.4 million contract modification to upgrade and sustain Saudi Arabia's F-15 Advanced Aircrew Training Device Phase II program. The modification raises the contract's total value to $256.7 million from the previous $144.3 million. Work will be carried out at three Saudi air bases: King Faisal, King Khalid, and King Abdulaziz Air Bases. The program is expected to be completed by September 30, 2031, under the U.S. Air Force contract. The contract is part of a Foreign Military Sales program to Saudi Arabia, with the full $112.4 million funded through foreign military funds.

Thai Airways is signalling continued profit growth in 2026, with Chai Eamsiri, Chief Executive Officer of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, or THAI, revealing that the company expects full-year total revenue to potentially exceed 200 billion baht, after the first half of the year brought in nearly 100 billion baht, or approximately 99 billion baht, along with a profit of about 12 billion baht. At the same time, its liquidity position remains a strength, with more than 120 billion baht in cash on hand, up from the second quarter. The company is pressing ahead with managing its fleet of 87 aircraft to capture opportunities from regional low-cost carriers facing liquidity constraints and cutting services on certain routes. It plans to add Boeing 787 aircraft to the fleet and to return one existing aircraft that has been refurbished and fitted with seats to service on medium-haul routes. In the Asian market, particularly China, India, and Vietnam, it is preparing to add Airbus A321 aircraft. On fuel price risk management, for the remainder of 2026 the company has already hedged more than 40%, and for 2027 it has hedged about 48%. Kittiphong Sansomboon, Chief Commercial Officer, said that in the winter flight schedule for 2026/2027, running from October 25, 2026 to March 27, 2027, Thai Airways will operate a total of 66 routes, launching a new Bangkok–Da Nang route with 14 flights per week starting December 1, 2026, while increasing frequency on the Bangkok–Vientiane and Bangkok–Yangon routes to 21 flights per week per route, Bangkok–Siem Reap to 7 flights per week, Bangkok–Amsterdam to 7 flights per week, Bangkok–Munich to 10 flights per week, Bangkok–Zurich to 11 flights per week, Bangkok–Paris to 14 flights per week, and resuming service on the Bangkok–Xiamen route with 4 flights per week.

Boeing has secured a Letter of Intent from Afcom Holdings Limited for up to four Boeing 777-8F Freighters and agreed to lease a Boeing 757-200PCF freighter to Jupiter Jet. The Afcom commitment covers up to four of the 777-8F jets, while the Jupiter Jet arrangement is a single 757-200PCF lease. Both deals lean on Boeing's existing 757 and 777-8F programs and point to airlines committing capacity in long-haul and regional freight. The practical checkpoint is Boeing's next detailed backlog disclosure and freighter delivery schedule commentary in its upcoming quarterly report, including how many of Afcom's up to four 777-8F jets progress from Letter of Intent status into firm orders by the end of 2026. The orders do not resolve Boeing's larger issues, such as high debt or the need to keep stabilising production, but they speak to customer confidence in its widebody and freighter offering across multiple regions.

A series of agreements between US and Vietnamese companies in sectors including energy, technology, aviation and finance are expected to be announced next week to coincide with the New York visit of Vietnam's top leader, Communist Party General Secretary and State President To Lam. The plans were revealed by officials and documents obtained by Reuters. An internal planning document lists 29 agreements that could be announced at a business conference in New York on the 23rd, which Lam will also attend. The contents of the document are subject to change, and it does not set out the specific details of the planned agreements. US energy companies Murphy Oil and Chevron are expected to announce agreements with Vietnamese state oil and gas company PetroVietnam, while ExxonMobil is expected to announce an agreement with PetroVietnam Refinery and Petrochemical, Vietnam's second-largest refinery. Vietjet, Vietnam's largest private airline, is expected to announce it will lease up to 22 aircraft from four leasing companies, comprising 17 Boeing 737s and five Airbus A321neos. SpaceX is also set to announce an agreement to provide its Starlink satellite internet service to 120 Vietjet aircraft. The planning document also includes an agreement between US-based Meta and Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, and one between US semiconductor giant Qualcomm and Vietnamese telecom company VNPT. Visa, Mastercard and Citibank are also expected to announce agreements with partners in Vietnam's domestic financial and hospitality services sectors.

The Pentagon announced framework agreements with The Boeing Company and RTX Corporation on August 14 to increase component production for the SM-3 Block IIA and SM-3 Block IB interceptors, part of a group of ship-fired, surface-to-air interceptors underpinning the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. The announcement had little impact on the shares, with Boeing down around 0.4% and RTX down about 1% during the day. The move is part of a broader buildup: RTX alone inked five separate Pentagon deals earlier this year to boost output of Tomahawk cruise missiles, AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, and the Standard Missile family, with Tomahawk production expected to increase sixteenfold, from approximately 60 to 1,000 units per year. Congress has backed the effort, with the 2026 defense spending bill providing multiyear procurement authority for eight critical munitions and more than $6.3 billion for 13 critical munitions, while the Pentagon's fiscal 2027 budget request calls for roughly $95 billion in missile procurement. RTX's backlog reached a record $289 billion by the second quarter of 2026, and Boeing is a key contractor supporting Aegis-related and other interceptor programs, though hedge fund ownership fell for both companies between the first and second quarters, from 99 to 90 funds for Boeing and from 95 to 92 for RTX.

Boeing is nearing an agreement to sell 150 737 Max jets to Turkish Airlines, part of a broader 225-aircraft Boeing order announced after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met U.S. President Donald Trump last year, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the negotiations. The Max portion of that larger agreement could be finalized as soon as next week. The order had been delayed by a dispute over engine maintenance, with Turkish Airlines threatening to switch to Airbus amid disagreements with engine manufacturer CFM International over maintenance costs, spare-parts prices and long-term repair risks. CFM is jointly owned by GE Aerospace and Safran. The carrier also sought a leading role in CFM's maintenance network, which would give it faster access to repair technology for engines used on the 737 Max, though it remains unclear whether that request will be included in the final agreement. A completed order would preserve one of the major Boeing agreements announced by the White House last year, and Turkish media have reported that Trump and Erdogan may meet during United Nations gatherings in New York next week.

The U.S. Air Force has raised the maximum value of Boeing's KC-46 Pegasus contract to $19.1 billion from $5.7 billion, adding $13.4 billion to accommodate additional Foreign Military Sales to Japan, Israel and potential future customers. The expanded ceiling covers post-production requirements for the KC-46 and is expected to run through April 2035, giving Boeing long-term revenue visibility on the tanker program. The aircraft provides both air-to-air refueling and military transport capabilities, and the added funding reflects continued demand as the United States and its allies modernize their aerial refueling fleets. Boeing shares have lost 7% in the past month, compared with an 11.7% decline in the Zacks aerospace-defense industry, and the stock trades at a forward 12-month sales multiple of 1.53X versus an industry average of 2.29X. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boeing's 2026 and 2027 earnings has moved lower over the past 60 days, and the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn held talks with executives of Thai Vietjet Air Joint Stock Company on operational guidelines and aviation business development, covering fleet expansion, international routes, and the promotion of Thai tourism. Thai Vietjet plans to bring additional Boeing 737 aircraft into service, with the goal of increasing its fleet to 25 aircraft by the end of 2026 and 50 aircraft within another two years, focusing on tourist markets in China, Vietnam, and Japan, as well as Russia and Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Phiphat proposed studying the feasibility of opening routes to Medan in Indonesia to link with southern Thailand and build on medical tourism, particularly in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province. The airline is also in talks on a partnership with Easy Airlines in the form of code sharing to connect the Hat Yai–Betong and Hat Yai–Phuket routes, and is running the Sky Connect project to facilitate passengers traveling from secondary cities to international destinations with check-in and baggage delivery to the final destination. The service is currently available at Udon Thani Airport, connecting through Bangkok to Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and there are plans to extend it to Khon Kaen and Hat Yai airports. The Ministry of Transport views the development of flight routes as needing to proceed alongside the development of land infrastructure, such as the project to build a bridge across Songkhla Lake linking Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces, which covers 15 districts and 142 local administrative organizations across three provinces: Songkhla, Phatthalung, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Boeing has received a not-to-exceed $552.1M undefinitized U.S. Navy contract modification for MQ-25A Stingray aircraft. The deal covers three Lot One aircraft and long-lead components for three Lot Two aircraft. The Navy will initially commit $164.4M, including $100M from fiscal 2025 funds and $64.4M from fiscal 2026 funds. Work is expected to be completed by July 2031, with Naval Air Systems Command as the contracting activity.

Boeing and American Airlines announced the successful completion of the first landing gear exchange for a 737 MAX, extending Boeing's longstanding Landing Gear Exchange Program to the MAX platform. For the completed exchange, Boeing supplied an overhauled and certified main and nose landing gear assembly with an installation kit, excluding wheels, tires and brakes, and the swap validated the end-to-end process from technical overhaul and paperwork through delivery. William Ampofo, senior vice president of Parts & Distribution and Supply Chain at Boeing Global Services, said the milestone reinforces that the program delivers predictable, safe and cost-effective outcomes and gives operators another proven tool to shorten downtime and manage costs. Boeing is also increasing global overhaul capacity and coordinating with certified MRO partners to expand geographic availability and shorten lead times, with near-term priorities including enlarging 737 MAX-capable exchange inventory and adding forward-exchange slots close to customer operations. The program lets airlines avoid lengthy in-place overhauls and extended groundings by reserving forward-exchange slots instead of holding high-cost spare inventories, with Boeing managing technical overhaul, service bulletin incorporation, certification and supplier coordination.

Boeing delivered 51 aircraft in August, a 10.5% drop from a year earlier, yet its shares climbed back above $200 as investors focused on the company's broader turnaround. The planemaker's year-to-date deliveries are its best since 2018, and it posted $24.5 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 8% from the prior year, while adjusted free cash flow swung to $631 million from negative $200 million a year earlier. Boeing's backlog stands at $715 billion, with more than 6,200 commercial aircraft in the pipeline, and CEO Kelly Ortberg has stressed that the manufacturer is rebuilding trust among customers, regulators, and suppliers. The stock remains down more than 5% year to date, and the company still faces risks, including the need to deliver aircraft on time and keep capital expenditures in check.

Boeing Co won a $241.3 million sole-source contract from the U.S. Navy on September 4 covering repairs to flight-control surfaces for F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, with work extending through September 2032. The award adds to a $109 million sole-source Navy order Boeing received on August 10 for 76 F/A-18 outer-wing panels, scheduled through October 2031, and follows U.S. approval of a potential $5 billion Saudi Arabian purchase of JDAM-ER weapons with Boeing designated as principal contractor. Boeing's Defense, Space & Security segment revenue rose 13% year over year to about $7.5 billion in the second quarter, but the segment posted a $15 million operating loss, compared with a $110 million profit a year earlier, including $280 million in losses on the VC-25B program. Total company revenue increased 8% to around $24.6 billion in the second quarter on 171 commercial aircraft deliveries, while Commercial Airplanes revenue rose 8% to $11.8 billion and its operating loss narrowed to $322 million from $557 million. Hedge funds holding Boeing stock fell to 90 in the second quarter from 99 in the first, and short interest stood at slightly under 15 million shares, or 1.90% of the public float, as of August 14.

Boeing and its engineering union have reached a tentative contract agreement on a labor deal that includes higher general wage increases than an earlier offer rejected three weeks ago, union officials said late Friday. If approved, the roughly 17,000 members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace's professional and technical units would receive a 10% wage raise on October 16, followed by 4% raises plus merit-based increases in 2027 through 2030. The latest offer also includes changes to work-from-home policies and overtime limits for professional unit members, according to the union. SPEEA's negotiating team said the tentative deal isn't everything the union asked for but represents a real step forward toward improving pay and work lives and rebuilding the relationship between Boeing leadership and the union's members. The current contract expires October 6, and the union could call a strike if a deal is not finalized by then.

Archer Aviation's stock surged 24.6% in August, driven by news that the company agreed to acquire three Boeing subsidiaries. The broader market also rose, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.6% and the Nasdaq Composite up 3.9%. On August 10, Archer announced a deal to purchase Boeing's Wisk Aero, SkyGrid, and Insitu units, with Boeing receiving a 16.5% stake in Archer in exchange. Insitu, which is already profitable with about $200 million in annual sales, is expected to immediately boost Archer's revenue and margins. Despite the monthly gain, Archer shares remain down roughly 24% year to date, and the stock has pulled back about 1.2% in early September amid market volatility.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly preparing to lead a large delegation of business executives on his forthcoming visit to Washington for a September 24 summit with President Trump, according to Reuters. The last significant business contingent led by Xi to the U.S. was in 2015, which included founders and executives from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Tencent Holdings Ltd, and other Chinese banks and state-owned firms, and during that visit China signed a $38 billion agreement for 300 Boeing Co. aircraft. The inclusion of business leaders could signal China's willingness to support investment and commercial ties with the U.S., and may provide the White House with potential economic victories ahead of the midterm elections, a source told Reuters. Trump has previously visited China with large groups of U.S. business leaders, including Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, among others, to seek greater access to Chinese markets. The upcoming visit could also lead to new announcements on agriculture and non-tariff barriers to expand American farm exports to China, as stated by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who added that they are not looking for another sweeping trade pact but aiming to manage the relationship.

Boeing's free cash flow has turned positive after six straight quarters of losses and cash burn, with the company generating $631 million in the last quarter alone, but sustaining the turnaround depends on ramping up production and fixing its Spirit Aerosystems subsidiary. Boeing is seeking permission to increase 737 production from 42 to 47 planes per month, with plans to reach 63, and analysts forecast free cash flow to grow from over $2.3 billion this year to $15 billion by 2030. The company's $4.7 billion repurchase of Spirit Aerosystems actually cost closer to $10.3 billion when debt and money-losing contracts are included, and turning that business profitable is key to meeting production targets. Boeing's defense business, which recently booked a $131.2 billion F-15 upgrade contract, could become a second profit driver, but the company must avoid underbidding on Pentagon projects and consider abandoning its Starliner program.

AerCap Holdings N.V. has delivered its 100th Boeing 787 from its direct orderbook with Boeing, marking the 25th Dreamliner for Aeroméxico and the 10th delivered to the airline under a lease agreement. The milestone underscores AerCap's position as the largest lessor in the 787 program, with roughly 140 aircraft owned or on order, and supports its pricing power amid constrained aircraft supply. In the first half of 2026, AerCap executed 488 asset transactions, ending June with a portfolio of 3,567 aircraft, helicopters, and engines, of which it owned 1,461, with 1,404 leased out. The company has committed to purchase 379 additional aircraft by 2034, including 15 Boeing 787s added in July, while its owned fleet averages 7.4 years in age with utilization between 97% and 98%. Analysts remain bullish, with a consensus 1-year target price of $177.89, implying about 22.5% upside, and 9 of 10 analysts rating the stock a Buy, while hedge fund holdings increased to 61 in Q2 2026 from 56 in Q1.

ATI Inc. raised its full-year 2026 guidance during its second-quarter earnings announcement, citing favorable momentum and results that exceeded the high end of its previous outlook. The company's projections are supported by extended strategic agreements, including a recent long-term material supply contract with BWX Technologies for the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. In Q2 2026, ATI's revenue rose 11% year-over-year to $1.26 billion, with adjusted EBITDA of $284.4 million and adjusted earnings per share of $1.23, up 66%. Order backlog reached a record $4.4 billion, driven by demand in aerospace and defense. The company also extended its titanium supply agreement with Boeing in July 2025, covering Boeing's entire commercial airplane lineup. Despite risks from customer concentration and raw material costs, all six covering analysts rate the stock a Buy, with an average price target of $255, implying nearly 25% upside.

The U.S. State Department on Friday approved the potential sale of Joint Direct Attack Munitions-Extend Range to Saudi Arabia for an estimated $5 billion, and a separate potential sale of AGT-1500 engines for an estimated $750 million, totaling $5.75 billion. Saudi Arabia has requested 5,000 KMU-572 and 5,000 KMU-556 JDAM guidance kits, 5,000 BLU-111 500-pound and 5,000 BLU-117 2,000-pound general purpose bombs, and 60 AGT-1500 tank engines, along with related equipment. The State Department said the proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia's airborne defense capability, strengthen homeland defense, and enhance interoperability with U.S. and Gulf partner forces. Boeing and Honeywell will serve as principal contractors for the JDAM-ERs and AGT-1500 engines, respectively.

Boeing announced on Friday that it received a $241.34 million contract modification to repair flight control surfaces used on Navy F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. The modification covers nine different configurations of flight control surfaces, with work expected to be completed by September 2032. Of the total, $60.34 million, or 25%, in fiscal 2026 Navy working capital funds will be obligated at the time and will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. An additional $181.01 million remains committed to funding the delivery order, which has a maximum value of $241.34 million. The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support is the contracting activity.

Albany Engineered Composites, a segment of Albany International, announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement with Boeing to continue manufacturing composite fuselage frames for the 787 Dreamliner. Under the agreement, Albany will continue to produce about 300 unique composite fuselage frames for the aircraft, a role it has held since Boeing's original award in 2014 for Sections 41 and 43.

Albany International Corp. announced the completion of its strategic review of its Amelia Earhart Drive facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, deciding to retain the facility after securing new business wins, a renegotiated Boeing 787 contract, and amended terms with Sikorsky on the CH-53K helicopter program. The amended contract with Sikorsky improves program financials, reduces risk, and is expected to generate positive cash flow beginning in 2027. The company also updated its third-quarter outlook, raising adjusted EPS guidance from $0.60-$0.70 to $1.40-$1.50, while keeping revenue outlook unchanged. For the fourth quarter, it expects consolidated net revenue between $325 million and $335 million and adjusted EPS between $0.65 and $0.75. An investor call is scheduled for September 2, 2026, at 8:30 AM Eastern Time.

Boeing has been awarded a massive $131.2 billion contract for F-15 fighter jet production and modernization, marking a major comeback for its defense business. The "F-15 Eagle Crest" contract, announced on Monday, Aug. 24, covers aircraft production, systems integration, modernization, upgrades, retrofits, sustainment, and depot maintenance for the U.S. Air Force and the air forces of Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and South Korea. This umbrella contract has an upper limit of $131.2 billion, with the final value depending on task orders placed, and work is expected to be completed by August 2037. The contract could add more than $13 billion per year to Boeing's defense, space, and security unit, which reported a $218 million operating profit so far in 2026 after near-breakeven last year. This follows Boeing's earlier win of the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance fighter contract, estimated to bring $20 billion to $50 billion in revenue, as the company continues its turnaround from $12 billion in losses in 2024.