Arrangements With Off-Balance Sheet Risk (Third Party Guarantees) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Contingent Repurchase Commitments [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum Potential Payments	$ 1,729	$ 1,605
Estimated Proceeds from Collateral or Recourse	1,729	1,605
Carrying Amount of Liabilities		9
Credit Guarantee [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum Potential Payments	106	109
Estimated Proceeds from Collateral or Recourse	51	55
Carrying Amount of Liabilities	16	16
ULA [Member] \| Contributed Delta Program Launch Inventory [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum Potential Payments	52	72
ULA [Member] \| Contract Pricing [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum Potential Payments	261	261
Carrying Amount of Liabilities	7	7
ULA [Member] \| Other Delta Contracts [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maximum Potential Payments	176	191
Carrying Amount of Liabilities

Indicates, if estimable, the approximate extent to which recourse provisions or proceeds from liquidation of any assets held either as collateral or by third parties would be expected to cover the maximum potential amount of future payments under the guarantee (or each group of similar guarantees).

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ba_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115931803&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115931803&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=us-gaap_FinancialGuaranteeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	ba_LongTermContractsOrProgramsByCustomerAxis=ba_UlaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=ba_ContributedDeltaLaunchInventoryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=ba_ContractPricingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=ba_OtherDeltaContractsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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