Raytheon joins Boeing in moving global headquarters to Arlington, Virginia

Raytheon Technologies is moving its headquarters from Massachusetts to Arlington, Va., making it the latest aerospace giant to double down on its military business at a time of tremendous uncertainty for commercial aviation. The company said its new headquarters would help deepen its partnerships with the defense and intelligence agencies headquartered in Northern Virginia, according to the company. It also highlighted the region’s status as an airline hub. “The location increases agility in supporting U.S. government and commercial aerospace customers and serves to reinforce partnerships that will progress innovative technologies to advance the industry,” the company said in an unsigned statement.

Raytheon has been headquartered in the Boston area since its founding in 1922. It expanded beyond its military business and became Raytheon Technologies in 2019, when it acquired the industrial technology conglomerate United Technologies in an all-stock deal worth roughly $74 billion. The merger gave Raytheon a deep foothold in commercial aircraft; its subsidiaries make jet engines used in Boeing and Airbus commercial jets, as well as a grab-bag of airplane parts, including rudders, landing gear, wing flaps and doors. The next year, the coronavirus pandemic took hold, throwing the company and the broader economy into crisis. Numerous countries halted travel in an attempt to contain the virus, prompting many carriers to hold off on major purchases of new aircraft. Commercial jet manufacturers saw demand for new airplanes fall through the floor, and the economic pain filtered through to suppliers like Raytheon. The company laid off thousands of employees amid steep declines in its sales. The company’s business has since returned amid what CEO Greg Hayes called a “strong commercial aerospace recovery,” with sales rising 3 percent in the first quarter to $15.7 billion.