Boeing fires head of 737 Max program in wake of safety incidents
Boeing ousted executive Ed Clark, who headed its 737 Max passenger jet program, following a harrowing midair incident in January that spotlighted persistent issues with the aircraft.
The 737 Max, Boeing’s top-selling plane, has been plagued by recurring troubles over the past five years, beginning with a 20-month grounding in 2019 and 2020 after two crashes claimed 346 lives. More recently, an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max experienced a door plug blowout shortly after takeoff, resulting in a significant breach in the aircraft's side.
A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the four bolts meant to secure the door plug were absent when the plane left Boeing’s facility. While the NTSB report refrained from assigning blame for the missing bolts and the subsequent mishap, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun took accountability for the incident in a statement to investors before the findings were disclosed.
“We are responsible for the issue, and we acknowledge that,” Calhoun affirmed during an investor call following the company's latest quarterly loss announcement. “Regardless of the conclusions drawn, Boeing takes full responsibility for the event.”
Clark, who had served at Boeing for 18 years, assumed leadership of the Max program in March 2021, after the aircraft had resumed service post-crashes. However, he had previously held various positions related to the 737 Max, including chief engineer and chief 737 mechanic roles.
Following Clark’s departure, Boeing initiated a reorganization within its Boeing Commercial Airplanes unit, introducing a new executive role, Senior Vice President for BCA Quality, filled by Elizabeth Lund.
Lund, formerly senior vice president and general manager of airplane programs for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, oversaw not only the 737 Max but also other passenger jet models manufactured by the company.
Mike Fleming, previously senior vice president of development and customer service, succeeded Lund's prior position. Meanwhile, Katie Ringgold, former vice president of 737 Max deliveries, assumed Clark’s former responsibilities overseeing the Max program.
Besides the issues leading to the grounding of the 737 Max 8 and Max 9, Boeing's setbacks have further delayed the certification of two new iterations of the jet: the Max 7 and the elongated Max 10.
The CEOs of three major Boeing clients – United Airlines, Southwest, and Delta Air Lines – have recently indicated that they no longer anticipate receiving the new plane variants they had ordered anytime soon. United CEO Scott Kirby referred to the Alaska Air incident as the tipping point in his airline’s strategic assumptions regarding the Max 10.
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