BOEING SATELLITE SYSTEMS, INC. Public Relations Department P.O. Box 92919 (S10/S323) Los Angeles, CA 90009 Public Relations (310) 364-6363 www.boeing.com/satellite

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18, 2001 -- Martin Luther King, III, President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and son of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, delivered a message of hope, unity and civility to the employees of Boeing Satellite Systems, (BSS) Inc., a unit of The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) at the El Segundo, Calif., facility today. Mr. King's speech was an integral part of BSS' kick-off of "Celebrate Diversity 2001."

"As individuals and collectively we have the qualities to make a significant difference in our society," Mr. King said in his address. "We have the experience. We should have the willingness. We have the mission and I believe that we have God on our side. All that we need is the commitment to work together for the beloved community, for the sake of our future, and for the sake of our children. There is no problem we cannot solve when we work together.

"We must work together for the advancement of our nation in the 21st century," he continued. "We must work together to ensure that Martin Luther King, Jr. and all the warriors who gave their lives for our cause did not die in vain. We must work together because it is our social and moral imperative to leave no one behind."

In addition to the 9,000 employees in El Segundo who were able to view the event live, it was posted on the Boeing Home Page so that all 198,000 Boeing employees worldwide could view the event. The event is also accessible for general public viewing on The Boeing Company web site at www.boeing.com/news/feature/mlk.

Boeing Satellite Systems operates according to "the fundamental premise of being fair, caring and consistent in all of our interactions. That's with our customers, with our suppliers, and especially within our family, the employees of Boeing Satellite Systems and The Boeing Company," said Tig H. Krekel, President of BSS. "Creating and supporting a diverse work force is completely aligned with creating a work environment that is fair, caring and consistent."

The company supports diversity in employment, customers and suppliers. More than 40 percent of BSS employees are classified as minorities under Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. BSS customers and suppliers reflect a broad cross-section of the global economy, and the company's success in this arena is reflected in the fact that international sales range from 40 percent to 60 percent of its annual totals from year to year. Major BSS customers are based in South America, the Middle East, Europe and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

BSS also supports diversity in its community relations. The company has been involved in several youth educational partnerships in the Southern California area. The primary goal of these partnerships is to provide mentors, scholarships and tools to those highly diversified campuses in hopes of encouraging higher education and instilling the value of reaching for and realizing each individual's full potential.

BSS is involved in three major youth education partnerships, and supports Minority Engineering Programs at approximately seven universities throughout California. Support for national organizations, such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and the National Hispanic Engineer of the Year Award program, is also a critical component of BSS' diversity program.

BSS is the world's leading manufacturer of communications satellites and a major provider of space systems, satellites, and payloads for national defense, science and environmental applications. The company was formed in October 2000 when Boeing acquired the Hughes Electronics satellite manufacturing businesses, which included Hughes Space and Communications Company and other Hughes entities.

The Boeing Company, headquartered in Seattle, is the largest aerospace company in the world and the United States' leading exporter. It is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft, and the largest NASA contractor. The company's capabilities in aerospace also include rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, rocket engines, launch vehicles, and advanced information and communication systems. The company has an extensive global reach with customers in 145 countries and manufacturing operations throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. At year-end 2000, Boeing and its subsidiaries employed 198,000 people.