Boeing announced on Thursday that it is moving its global headquarters from Chicago, Illinois, to Arlington, Virginia. The company says it plans to maintain a significant presence in Chicago, but also noted that less office space would be required at the site owing to “flexible and virtual solutions” implemented over the past two years. Boeing’s three business units will continue to be based at their current headquarters with Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, Washington; Boeing Global Services in Plano, Texas; and Boeing Defense, Space and Security in Arlington.
“We are excited to build on our foundation here in Northern Virginia,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun. “The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent. We greatly appreciate our continuing relationships in Chicago and throughout Illinois. We look forward to maintaining a strong presence in the city and the state.”
Along with moving to the new headquarters, Boeing also announced plans to develop a research and technology hub in Northern Virginia to “harness and attract engineering and technical capabilities.” According to the company, development at the new hub will focus on cyber security, autonomous operations, quantum sciences and software and systems engineering. Boeing’s Arlington office specializes in advanced airplane development and autonomous systems.
