Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to step down at 2024 end, here's why
Major Boeing management shake-ups ahead. CEO Dave Calhoun to resign from his post towards the year's end in the wake of the recent air travel safety crisis.
The upcoming Boeing management shakeup will witness many officials emptying their seats in 2024. CEO Dave Calhoun is reportedly resigning effective at the end of 2024. Additionally, board chairman Larry Kellner will leave after Boeing's annual meeting in May. Thirdly and lastly, the president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal, is resigning effective immediately.
Boeing director Steve Mollenkopf will replace Kellner, whereas Boeing’s Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Pope will take over Deal's spot. These change-ups follow the rising scrutiny the aerospace giant has faced regarding the manufacturing shortcoming that prominently came to light after the Boeing Jan 5 incident.
Boeing Jan 5 incident explained
A commercial flight Boeing 737 Max 9 door plug blew out on January 5 as the plane was ascending. The fatally disastrous Alaska Airlines unravelling opened flight safety to new scrutiny. This isn't the first of the misfortunes of the Boeing 737 Max planes. They've previously been subject to software glitches and two plane crashes as well.
Also read | Trump dubbed ‘Don Poorleone’ ahead of half-a-billion-dollar penalty deadline
The January mishap happened 20 minutes after the flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, Canada, took off. Previous reports highlighted a loud, alarming sound signalling the door plug coming off suddenly with a hole in the plane's side mid-air. Startled passengers witnessed mobile phones and other equipment, including a pilot's headset, getting sucked out with the changing pressure. Oxygen masks were also released so they could breathe. Fortunately, no injuries came across as pilots facilitated an emergency landing in Portland shortly.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun addresses the issue
Calhoun has attempted to tighten the chain of command these past months, promising officials and the public to deal with the quality flaws head-on. Calling the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident a “watershed moment for Boeing,” he asked the employees to “continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency” on Monday.
With the world's eyes on them, airline CEOs kicked off a series of meetings with Boeing director last week. They addressed the downhill manufacturing quality and sinking 737 Max planes' production.
Calhoun's impending departure is sharply reminiscent of former CEO Dennis Muilenburg's expulsion in 2019 after two fatal 737 Max plane crashes. Boeing's stock fell by nearly 25% since the start of 2024, but grew more than 2.8% in pre-market trading after Calhoun's announcement on Monday.