Boeing on Monday fired its chief executive Dennis Muilenburg as the company battles to regain the trust of regulators, customers and the public after two fatal crashes of its best-selling plane, the 737 Max, that claimed 346 lives.
The Seattle-based company said its chairman David Calhoun will take over as CEO in January.
In a statement, Boeing said the board decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders.
Families of the victims welcomed the CEO’s sack as overdue, but insist that Boeing’s decision to replace him with a long-time board member raised questions about its commitment to change.
Earlier this month, Boeing said it would suspend production of the 737 Max early next year.
