An early test version of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Dallas
Three senior Boeing executives including CEO Dave Calhoun are stepping down, the beleaguered company said Monday.
The news comes as the company continues to deal with an ongoing scandal and federal investigation into the safety of its passenger jets following the blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max passenger jet in mid-flight.
As part of the shakeup, Stan Deal, the president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, has retired with immediate effect. Larry Kellner, chairman of the company’s board of directors, will not stand for re-election at the next shareholders’ annual meeting, it is understood, and Boeing board member and former Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf will succeed Kellner.
The company has been mired in an onslaught of negative press on and off for years, starting over a decade ago with the 787 Dreamliner battery fires, continuing with two hull loses and the loss of 339 souls in two separate incidents involving the then brand new 737 Max within six months of one another in the 2018-2019 timeframe, and, finally, the January 2024 door plug issue.
Last week, the U.S, Federal Bureau of Investigation informed passengers on that flight that they may have been victims of a crime that the bureau is still investigating.
In a letter to staff, posted on the official Boeing website, the outgoing CEO acknowledged that the Alaska Airlines incident had changed the company.
“As you all know, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident was a watershed moment for Boeing,” Calhoun wrote. “We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency. We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company.”
“The eyes of the world are on us,” he said, making reference to ongoing investigations as well as efforts to reassure both the company’s airline customers and the flying public that Boeing aircraft are safe to fly in.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
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