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The
Qatar deal, which includes Boeing’s 787 and 777X jets, is the
biggest order for 787s and wide body jets in Boeing's history,
the company confirmed.
“That's pretty good,” Trump said in announcing the order. “Get
those planes out there.”
It has been a particularly good week for Boeing. According to
several media reports, China lifted a ban on its airlines taking
deliveries of Boeing planes earlier this week as part of
Monday’s trade truce with the U.S.
Boeing had already been in the news for its planes in the Middle
East, but for different reasons.
Donald Trump said he would accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo
jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar, setting off
intense criticism from Democrats, ethicists, and even some
unease among Republicans.
There are concerns from security and ethics experts that the
plane could be less secure, costly to retrofit and a violation
of the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts. Trump
offered no national security imperative for a swift upgrade
rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets
that have been in the works for years.
Boeing has lost more than $35 billion since 2019 following the
crashes of two then-new Max jets that killed 346 people.
Early this year, a panel blew off a 737 Max shortly after
takeoff from Portland, Oregon and last year, a strike by union
machinists halted production at Boeing plants and hampered the
company's delivery capability.
Shares of Boeing, which has been mired in legal and regulatory
problems since the crashes six years ago, bounced to their
highest level in more than a year Wednesday. It was the fifth
straight day of gains for the Arlington, Virginia, company.
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