Boeing CEO resignation ‘step in right direction’: Former manager

(NewsNation) — A Boeing former senior manager at a 737 factory who previously called for the resignations of the executives who make up Boeing’s C-suite said the CEO stepping down is “a step in the right direction.”

On Monday, Boeing announced that CEO David Calhoun would be stepping down from his post at the end of the year as part of broader management changes.

But Ed Pierson, who is now the executive director for the Foundation for Aviation Safety, said Calhoun stepping down may not be sufficient to address the underlying issues plaguing the company.

The American plane maker has been under intense pressure since early January, when a panel blew off a brand-new Alaska Airlines 737 Max midflight. That’s spotlighted a lengthy series of safety and manufacturing problems that have piled up for Boeing over the years — including two devastating crashes that also involved Max jets.

Subsequent incidents, such as flames erupting from a Boeing 737 engine during a United Airlines flight and a Boeing 737 veering off the runway upon landing in Houston, have only compounded concerns about the safety of Boeing’s aircraft.

The planemaker also said that Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO, would retire, and Stephanie Pope would lead that business. Steve Mollenkopf has been appointed the new chair of the board.

Pierson criticized the company’s decision to shuffle personnel within its ranks, describing it as merely “taking people from the same team and moving around a little bit.” He emphasized the need for individuals with extensive experience in engineering, manufacturing and quality assurance to lead Boeing’s efforts to restore confidence in its products.

Pierson said issues such as quality control inspections being removed — even after two fatal 737 Max crashes — and manufacturing defects symbolized by the missing door bolts on the Alaska plane point to “a lot deeper problems” at Boeing beyond executive leadership.