December 24, 2019
Anna Murray
Boeing’s Growing Crisis Boeing has been mired in crisis since the crashes of two of its 737 Max jets killed 346 people. Dennis A. Muilenburg, Boeing’s chief executive, faced withering criticism from Congress and crash victims’ families at a hearing in October. On December 23, Boeing said that it had fired its chief executive, Dennis A. Muilenburg, since he was unable to stabilize the company after two crashes involving its best-selling 737 Max plane killed 346 people and set off the worst crisis in the 103-year history of the manufacturing giant.
On October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, on a flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to Pangkal Pinang, Indonesia, crashed into the sea 13 minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 people aboard. It is the deadliest air accident of the Boeing 737 and also the first deadly accident involving the Boeing 737 MAX.
On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, on a flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya, crashed 6 minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 people aboard. The plane was only 4 months old at the time of the crash. It is the second deadly accident involving the Boeing 737 MAX.
In addition, on March 13, 2019, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the 737 MAX aircraft to be grounded until Boeing can prove to regulators that the plane is safe to fly.
Muilenburg had faced continual criticism from Congress, airline companies, and crash victims’ families. Earlier in December, Muilenburg announced the production halt of the 737 Max. It reported the shutdown would result in more than 8,000 supply companies to lay off workers.
Boeing released a statement that its chief financial officer, Greg Smith, would serve temporarily as interim chief executive and David L. Calhoun, its chairman, would become chief executive on January 13, 2020.
In a note released by Mr. Smith on December 23, the interim chief executive pledged full transparency in effective and proactive communications with the FAA, other global regulators and Boeing’s customers.
Photo:Webshot.