Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to step down at end of year

Recently, a door plug blew out of the side of an Alaska Airlines plane. Credit: AP

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun has announced plans to resign at the end of the year after a year of mishaps at the embattled plane manufacturer.

The firm's chairman Larry Kellner and the head of Boeing's commercial airplane unit, Stan Deal, also plan on leaving.

Plane-maker Boeing has been hit by a reputational crisis in recent years after two fatal crashes, one in 2018, and another in 2019 that killed 346 people.

Recently, a door plug blew out of the side of an Alaska Airlines plane, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft.

Investigators say bolts that help keep the panel in place were missing after repair work at the Boeing factory.

Alaska Airlines said it was working with Boeing to understand what took place on Flight 1282. Credit: AP

The series of issues have led to multiple flight groundings and more than $31 billion (£25 billion) in cumulative losses.

In a letter to Boeing employees on Monday, Calhoun called the Alaska Airlines incident “a watershed moment for Boeing.”

“The eyes of the world are on us,” he said in announcing his departure plans. “We are going to fix what isn’t working, and we are going to get our company back on the track towards recovery and stability.”

Moment US plane loses wheel forcing it to make emergency landing

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...