Boeing CEO David Calhoun to step down by the end of 2024 amid safety crisis
This change follows a recent incident in which a panel, known as a door plug, detached from a Boeing Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight in Jan.
Hyderabad: Boeing announced today (https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2024-03-25-Boeing-Announces-Board-and-Management-Changes) that its chief executive, David Calhoun, would step down at the end of 2024 as part of a management shake-up, amidst ongoing safety concerns. Stan Deal, head of the commercial plane division, will retire immediately, replaced by Stephanie Pope, the company’s chief operating officer. The company also stated that chairman Larry Kellner would not seek re-election.
This change follows a recent incident in which a panel, known as a door plug, detached from a Boeing Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5. This event, coming after crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving Max 8 planes that resulted in nearly 350 deaths, has put the company under intense scrutiny.
The incident in Alaska raised further doubts about the safety of Max planes and Boeing’s dedication to quality. Airline CEOs publicly voiced frustrations with the manufacturer. The Federal Aviation Administration, responsible for regulating the company, grounded similar planes across the U.S. When it permitted the planes to fly again, it also restricted Boeing’s planned production increase of Max planes, hindering the company's efforts to compete with European rival Airbus.
