Screenshot / YouTube Virginia Tech, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

Boeing announced that CEO David Calhoun will depart from the company by the year's end amidst a series of significant malfunctions on planes produced by the airline giant.

Reuters reports that Steve Mollenkopf, former CEO of Qualcomm, will assume the role of board chair to oversee the search for Calhoun's successor.

Stan Deal, the CEO of Boeing's Commercial Airplanes division, is also retiring, with Stephanie Pope, the company's current COO, set to take his place.

Investors and airline operators have exerted pressure on Boeing following the door-panel blowout incident on an Alaska Airlines flight, demanding a clear plan to address the company's quality issues. 

A coalition of airline CEOs has recently sought meetings with Boeing's board, an uncommon step that underscores their discontent with both the company and Calhoun.

Calhoun took the reins as CEO in January 2020, vowing to orchestrate a turnaround for the manufacturer. He now joins the ranks of consecutive Boeing leaders departing amid quality concerns and production challenges, unable to fulfill his commitment to revitalizing the company.

“As you all know, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident was a watershed moment for Boeing,” Calhoun wrote on the Boeing website. 

“We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency,” he added. “We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company.”

Boeing has been at the center of various controversies in recent months, especially after John Barnett, a former staffer who had previously raised concerns about the aviation giant’s production standards, was found dead days after court testimony.

Employees at the Holiday Inn, where Barnett was found, disclosed that Barnett appeared to be in good spirits as he was eating a quesadilla, drinking a Coke, and scrolling on his phone.

“I didn’t think of him at all until I heard the news the next day. He didn’t seem upset at all,” an employee told The New York Post.