Boeing replaces head of troubled 737 Max
BOEING has replaced the executive leading its troubled 737 manufacturing business as the American aircraft maker attempts to draw a line under the safety scare that grounded nearly 200 of its planes.
Ed Clark, who was in charge of both the 737 programme and its factory in Renton in Washington state, has left with immediate effect as part of a reshuffle of top jobs at the division. He is being replaced by Katie Ringgold, who has worked at Boeing, including in a quality control job, since 2011.
Stan Deal, the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told staff yesterday that the company was making “leadership changes as we continue driving [Boeing’s] enhanced focus on ensuring that every aeroplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements. Our customers demand, and deserve, nothing less”.
He added: “Ed departs with my, and our, deepest gratitude for his many significant contributions over nearly 18 years of dedicated service to Boeing.”
The reshuffle of management jobs comes two months after a plug door blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon. The plane made an emergency landing and no one was seriously injured. However, it led to 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft being grounded for several weeks. “There have been issues in the past and they don’t seem to be getting resolved,” Michael Whitaker, head of US regulator the Federal Aviation Administration said. “We feel like we need to have a heightened level of oversight.”
The mishap on Jan 5 followed two crashes involving Boeing’s Max 8 jets, in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people.
The incident generated a wave of criticism, with Sir Tim Clark, the boss of Emirates Airlines, saying Boeing was in the “last chance saloon”. Ryanair chief Michael O’leary flagged that he was “concerned because it highlights poor production quality with Boeing”.
Boeing has previously said that it is “taking action on a comprehensive plan to improve our quality and delivery performance”.