Boeing’s problems aren’t just Boeing’s. They also could spell trouble for your wallet and the broader US economy.

One of America’s biggest manufacturers is dealing with some serious production, quality and safety problems that worsened this week after a 787 Dreamliner plunged suddenly mid-flight, injuring dozens of passengers. It’s not yet clear whether Boeing was to blame, but it came at a horrible time for a company grappling with some severe damage to its already-battered reputation.

Boeing’s crisis could result in more expensive airfares and weaker economic growth, economists say.

The aircraft manufacturer is a massive company with a workforce of more than 140,000 employees around the world, generating tens of billions in revenue each quarter as one of two global players in the production of planes, the other being Airbus.

Boeing’s production alone represents a significant part of America’s economy. But the country – and the world – relies on its planes for travel, business, deliveries and jobs.

Delays in deliveries, which Boeing and several airlines expect as it undergoes an intensive federal investigation of its manufacturing processes, could reduce the number of planes available to Americans and cut into all those economy-boosting benefits its normally provides.