United States: Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing, along with two top executives, have announced their resignation from the company. This decision comes after a series of accidents that raised concerns about safety among the public.
Boeing is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells aeroplanes, helicopters, rockets, satellites, and missiles. In a memo posted on the company’s website, Calhoun referred to the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident as a ‘watershed moment’ for Boeing. He further stated that the company is dedicated to assuring more safety and quality guarantees in the future. Calhoun will continue to serve as CEO until the end of this year.
Calhoun noted that, “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.”
Echoing his term as CEO of Boeing, Calhoun stated that it was the greatest privilege of his life. He also mentioned that the company would be working towards fixing the issues that were no longer working and rebuilding its safety reputation.
Chairman Larry Kellner is stepping down from the position along with Calhoun. In addition, Stan Deal, CEO and president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, will resign. Recent news emerged in the wake of a series of high-profile accidents that fueled public distrust of Boeing aircraft, particularly the 737 Max.
Alaska Airlines’ 737 Max suffered a door panel blowout during a flight in January, leading to widespread panic as photos and videos circulated online. As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched inquiries which eventually directed to the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9s.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that crucial bolts were missing from the door panel before takeoff, raising concerns about Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines. However, this was not the only issue plaguing Boeing following the Alaska Airlines incident.
In 2018 and 2019, the Boeing 737 Max 8 faced safety issues after two fatal accidents that claimed the lives of all passengers aboard. Although Boeing accepted accountability for some of these problems and initiated transformations to address them, people continue to be suspicious when travelling on planes manufactured by Boeing.
“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 remarked.
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