It is a very fair agreement in my judgment. I think it meets the needs of SPEEA, and I believe it protects the long-term needs of the company, ... I believe we will be able to attract and retain the world's best aerospace engineers.

We've made it clear that we are transforming Boeing into a global aerospace solutions provider, and growing our aviation-services businesses is a major part of that transformation.

Today's announcement brings together two strong aerospace companies with complementary capabilities. The merger enhances our position as the No. 1 aerospace company in the world and truly among the world's premier industrial firms.

This was done on our part primarily because of the excellent strategic fit that the Rockwell aerospace and defense unit provide Boeing.

As a result of the merger with McDonnell Douglas and acquisition of Rockwell's aerospace and defense operations, we are strategically realigning the use of our facilities to provide better value to our customers and shareholders,

I'm very excited about the strength Mike brings to the CFO position. He has run our highest-margin business for the past three years, has taken personal involvement in new opportunities to grow this business, and has a keen knowledge and understanding of our company and the aerospace industry.

I'm very excited about the strength Mike brings to the CFO position, ... He has run our highest-margin business for the past three years, has taken personal involvement in new opportunities to grow this business, and has a keen knowledge and understanding of our company and the aerospace industry.