Boeing has announced a major shake-up in its management team, with the head of the 737 Max program stepping down. This decision comes in the aftermath of a January incident that has caused significant damage to the aircraft manufacturer’s reputation and resulted in a loss of billions of dollars in value.
In an email to employees on Wednesday, Boeing Executive Vice President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Stanley A. Deal shared the news of several leadership changes. Ed Clark, who has been leading Boeing’s 737 Max program, will be replaced.
According to Deal, Clark has been a valuable member of the Boeing team for nearly 18 years, and his departure is met with deep gratitude for his significant contributions.
The incident that triggered this management shake-up occurred on January 5 when a door panel on an Alaska Airlines plane, manufactured by Boeing, blew out mid-flight over Portland. This forced an emergency landing and raised concerns about the safety of the aircraft.
As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes in the U.S. and increased oversight over the company’s production processes.
Deal explained that these leadership changes are part of Boeing’s renewed focus on ensuring that every airplane they deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements. He emphasized that their customers deserve nothing less.
However, the issues with Boeing’s Max planes go beyond the recent mid-air incident. In 2018 and 2019, two Max 8 passenger jets crashed due to problems with a flight stabilization feature, resulting in the tragic deaths of 346 people. This led to a worldwide grounding of all Boeing 737 Max airplanes from March 2019 to November 2020.
Boeing’s priority now is to regain the trust and confidence of both its customers and the general public. The company is committed to addressing any issues and ensuring that their aircraft meet the highest standards of safety and quality.
