Carson will get $1.5M to advise Boeing

Boeing will pay Scott Carson, the recently retired former chief executive of its commercial-airplane unit, $1.5 million this Friday as an advance "retainer fee" for two years of consulting work.

A regulatory filing Wednesday states that Carson's consulting work during the two years through March 2012 will be limited to 75 hours per month. That adds up to at least $833 an hour.

Boeing's agreement with Carson notes his "extensive and unique knowledge and experience with Boeing's commercial-airplane business, including (his) extensive relationships with Boeing's customers and suppliers."

From 2004 until he became CEO in 2006, Carson was head of sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Carson, 63, formally retired from Boeing on Jan. 1 after 37 years.

He had already stepped down from his CEO role Aug. 31, five weeks after the news that a flaw at the wing-body join of the 787 Dreamliner would lead to another major delay.

Carson was seen as a booster of Washington state. A month after he stepped down, Boeing announced that it would build a second assembly plant in Charleston, S.C., instead of Everett.

Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or dgates@seattletimes.com