Boeing is shifting to Wichita some of its fuselage-assembly work on the 757. Assembly work on 737 fuselages already occurs there, after which it is shipped by rail to Renton, where workers attach the wings and landing gear and complete other finishing work. Boeing has been closing or selling factories to save money, and the Renton Plant is under consideration for a similar fate.

Boeing says the cities under consideration for the 500-employee headquarters--half the employees currently working at the company's Seattle headquarters--are Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Denver, all of which has ties to the aviation industry. Dallas reportedly has the most ties and Chicago has the most prestige, while Denver has the most land, including the Stapleton Airport, which could be converted into a Colorado version of Seattle's Boeing Field.