Door gone, wheel lost

Boeing boss takes his hat off at the end of the year

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun(Bild: 2024 Getty Images)

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun has announced his resignation: Following a series of safety failures in aircraft production, Calhoun intends to vacate his chair at the end of the year.

Along with Calhoun, Stan Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and the Chairman of the Board, Larry Kellner, are also leaving the company. This is part of a comprehensive restructuring of the management of the ailing Boeing Group.

The stock market reacted positively to this announcement. Boeing shares gained 3.5 percent in pre-market US trading.

FBI speaks of "crime"
The aerospace group is in crisis - just a few days ago, a Boeing 737-800 belonging to United Airlines lost a fuselage section. At the beginning of the year, part of the cabin wall of a Boeing aircraft operated by Alaska Airlines was torn away shortly after take-off. Several bolts are said to have been missing from the part - the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) called it a "crime".

On January 5, shortly after take-off from Portland in the US state of Oregon, part of the cabin wall of the Alaska Airlines plane flew out.(Bild: National Transportation Safety Board via AP, File)

Calhoun wrote a message to employees
"As you all know, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident was a turning point for Boeing," Calhoun said in a message to employees on Monday. "We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency. We must also embed a comprehensive commitment to safety and quality at all levels of our organization." The eyes of the world are on the Group, Calhoun added. He was convinced that the company would "emerge from this crisis as a better company".

Since the incidents, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also been keeping a close eye on the production and quality assurance of Boeing and its fuselage supplier Spirit Aerosystems. The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation. For the time being, the aircraft manufacturer is not allowed to produce more than 38 aircraft of the 737 Max series per month.