Boeing CEO vows to see 737 Max crisis through

Muilenburg thought of stepping down in the wake of crashes

Boeing Co.’s embattled boss said he has considered stepping down in the wake of two deadly crashes but vowed to stay on to lead the plane maker through one of the worst crises in its 103year history.

“It’s fair to say I’ve thought about it,” Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said about resigning, speaking Wednesday at a conference. “But to be frank, that’s not what’s in my character.”

The manufacturer has been engulfed in crisis since March, when regulators grounded its best-selling 737 Max after two accidents killed 346 people. The pressure on Muilenburg has mounted as the plane’s anticipated return has slipped from May to the fourth quarter — or beyond — while regulators scrutinise redesigned software for the jet’s flight control system.

The accidents “happened on my watch, and I feel obligated, I feel responsible to stay on it, work with the team to fix it, to see it through,” Muilenburg said at the New York Times Dealbook Conference in New York.

Muilenburg said he would still like to be Boeing CEO three years from now, adding that he intended to stay on “as long as the board allows me to serve in this role”.

Chairman’s support

The comments came a day after Boeing Chairman David Calhoun said on CNBC that the board still has confidence in the CEO. Muilenburg faced repeated calls last week to resign from US lawmakers and relatives of crash victims during two days of gruelling testimony on Capitol Hill.