The head of Boeing’s troubled 737 MAX program is leaving as pressure mounts
Global News
Ed Clark will immediately leave his role as vice president and general manager of both the 737 MAX program and the Renton, Wash., production facility where the planes are made.
The head of Boeing‘s troubled 737 MAX program is leaving the company immediately as pressure mounts for the planemaker to address issues with production and safety after a door panel blew off one of its planes mid-air last month.
The departure also comes ahead of the five-year anniversary next month of the deadly 737 MAX 8 plane crash in 2019 that killed 18 Canadians and led to a global grounding of the troubled fleet, which has since lifted.
Ed Clark will leave his role as vice president and general manager of both the 737 MAX program and the Renton, Wash., production facility where the planes are made, according to an internal memo sent to employees on Wednesday and seen by Global News.
The memo sent by Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal announced several other immediate changes to the leadership team that Deal said are intended to drive Boeing’s “enhanced focus on ensuring that every airplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements.”
“Our customers demand, and deserve, nothing less,” he wrote.
Boeing has been scrutinized for its production and safety procedures after the door panel, or plug, blew off a brand new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 on Jan. 5. Clark oversaw the company’s production facility in Renton where the plane involved in the accident was completed.
Inspections of other 737 MAX 9s operated by Alaska and United Airlines, which were grounded after the blowout, found loose bolts on the same component of other planes. Initial findings from a U.S. National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB) investigation into the incident found some of the bolts on the Alaska Airlines flight’s door panel may have been missing entirely.
No Canadian airlines operate the 737 MAX 9, but Air Canada and WestJet have partnerships with United and Alaska, respectively, to complete some cross-border and international routes.
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