The Chief Executive Officer of Boeing will leave his position by the end of the year amid increasing public concern about the safety of the company’s airplanes.
David Calhoun is one of three senior executives who will leave the aerospace manufacturer at the end of 2024. The news comes after multiple, well-documented mechanical failures – in the mid-flight detachment of an exit door – and the unexpected death of a whistleblower.
“The eyes of the world are on us, and I know we will come through this moment a better company, building on all the learnings we accumulated as we worked together to rebuild Boeing over the last number of years,” Calhoun said in a letter to Boeing employees on March 25.
“My decision to step down as CEO at the end of this year is one the board has been prepared for and will result in a number of changes at a management and governance level moving forward,” said the executive. “As we begin this period of transition, I want to assure you, we will remain squarely focused on completing the work we have done together to return our company to stability after the extraordinary challenges of the past five years, with safety and quality at the forefront of everything that we do.”
Calhoun called Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 “a watershed moment.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation has contacted passengers aboard the January flight that lost the emergency exit door and believes they may be “possible victims of a crime,” per KATU2. Three of the passengers have sued the airline for negligence and are seeking $1 billion in compensation.
“We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency,” Calhoun said of the incident, which went viral on social media. “We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company.”
The Federal Aviation Administration released a report in March detailing dozens of issues with Boeing’s 737 MAX jet production process including “unacceptable” quality control issues. The report further heightened public anxiety about the safety of the company’s aircraft.
According to The New York Post, auditors determined that “Boeing failed 33 out of 89 product audits — a review of specific aspects in the production line — with a total of 97 counts of alleged noncompliance.”
Shortly thereafter, a former manager at Boeing who accused the company of failing to address safety issue reportedly committed suicide during several days of being deposed. John Barnett’s death surprised many and sparked sinister speculations about the aerospace manufacturer.
Calhoun took over as Boeing’s CEO in 2020 during a separate period of turmoil.
“Within the space of five months, two brand new 737 Max planes had been lost in almost identical accidents that claimed the lives of 346 passengers and crew,” reports BBC. Calhoun had vowed to “rebuild trust” and reinforce “safety culture.”
Two other members of the company’s leadership will also leave their positions.
Stan Deal, the CEO and president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, will retire after 38 years with the manufacturer. Larry Kellner, the chairman of Boeing’s board of directors, will not seek reelection. He is expected to be replaced by Steve Mollenkopf, a current board member and the former CEO of Qualcomm.
