David Calhoun, chief executive of Boeing, announced he would step down at the end of 2024.Credit…David Ryder/Reuters
Boeing announced Monday that its chief executive, David Calhoun, would step down at the end of 2024 as part of a broad management shake-up, as the aircraft maker grapples with its most significant safety crisis in years.
Stan Deal, the head of the division that makes planes for commercial customers, will retire immediately and will be replaced by Stephanie Pope, the company’s chief operating officer.
The company also announced that its chairman, Larry Kellner, would not stand for re-election.
The management overhaul comes less than three months after a panel, known as a door plug, blew off a Boeing Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5. The incident plunged the company into crisis after crashes in 2018 and 2019 of its Max 8 planes that killed nearly 350 people.
The Alaska incident renewed questions about the safety of Max planes and Boeing’s commitment to quality. Airline chief executives publicly expressed frustration with the manufacturer. The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates the plane maker, grounded similar planes across the United States. When it cleared the planes to fly again, it also imposed limits on Boeing’s planned production increase of Max planes, foiling the company’s latest attempt to compete with its European rival Airbus.
In recent weeks, Boeing has come under mounting scrutiny. An F.A.A. audit of Boeing’s Max production found dozens of lapses. The agency gave Boeing 90 days to address its issues.
In a note to employees on Monday announcing the leadership changes, Mr. Calhoun said that the Jan. 5 incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 “was a watershed moment for Boeing.”
