Boeing Announces Leadership Shift For Troubled 737 Max Program After Recent Episode

In the wake of a recent incident involving one of its 737 Max planes, Boeing Co BA has decided to replace the head of its 737 Max program.

What Happened: The aerospace giant has announced that Ed Clark, the current head of the 737 Max program, will be leaving the company. This decision comes less than two months after a door panel blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight, leading to a temporary grounding of the aircraft type, reported CNBC.

Katie Ringgold will take over as the new president and general manager of the 737 program and the Renton, Washington, site. Elizabeth Lund has been appointed to the newly created position of senior vice president of quality for the commercial airplane unit. These leadership changes are effective immediately.

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“Ed departs with my, and our, deepest gratitude for his many significant contributions over nearly 18 years of dedicated service to Boeing,” said Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing’s commercial airplane unit.

The Alaska Airlines incident is the latest in a series of crises for Boeing, which has been grappling with quality issues and delays in plane deliveries.

Why It Matters: The recent incident involving the 737 Max program is just the latest in a string of challenges for Boeing. In January, the U.S. grounded over a hundred Max 9 airplanes after a door-shaped panel blew off a 737 Max 9 during its ascent. This incident raised questions about the stability of Boeing’s CEO, Dave Calhoun, and the company’s relationship with its primary supplier, Spirit AeroSystems.

In February, Boeing discovered new quality defects in its 737 MAX airplanes, potentially leading to delays in the delivery of the aircraft. The company identified two mis-drilled holes on the fuselages of around 50 undelivered 737 MAX planes, which could potentially delay near-term deliveries.

The 737 Max program has been under intense scrutiny since the fatal crashes of the 737 Max 8 in 2018 and 2019, which claimed the lives of 346 people. The recent panel blowout incident has added to Boeing’s woes, with the Federal Aviation Administration intensifying direct inspections of Boeing’s Max production lines and halting any increase in output until it is satisfied with the company’s quality controls.

These incidents have added to the challenges faced by Boeing, which is also dealing with a lawsuit over the compensation it owes to the families of those who died in a 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia in 2019. The key issue in the lawsuit is whether the passengers experienced any pain and suffering before they died.

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