By Dan Catchpole

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Jan. 4, 2024 © Leeham News: Boeing's priorities in 2024 are clear: get the job done on time and without drama, and don't cause any scandals. In short, it needs a boring year. However, to do that, the aerospace giant has to overcome several obstacles.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes has to increase production rate goals, sign a new labor contract and help suppliers along. That means going against Boeing management’s cultural predilection for extracting concessions from unions and contractors.

Defense is a mess, and there’s little reason to think it will improve much this year. Several fixed-cost programs are bleeding money. Boeing is competing for three major United States Department of Defense programs, but it is not favored to win any of them. This year, leadership is expected to focus on controlling costs.

A new position of executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Boeing Co. was created last month. Stephanie Pope, previously CEO of Boeing Global Services, was named to fill this slot. She's an unknown to some customers and hasn't run a company approaching the size of Boeing. She'll have to prove herself in this new position of greater responsibilities than she's ever had.

Related Articles

• Boeing files for permits to increase capacity of Charleston 787 plant to produce 14 a month. Charleston Post and Courier.
• Charleston has room to increase 787 production. LNA, November 2020.
• 2024 will be key year for Boeing labor relations. LNA, November 2020.

Summary

• BCA has to smoothly increase production rates.
• Sign a new contract with Machinists.
• Staunch the bleeding at Boeing Defense, Space and Security.