Another day, another fiasco at the biggest US airline carrier, and this time it is oddly reminiscent of the conditions surrounding the melting ice-cube that is Tesla.
With Boeing’s workhorse and most popular airline – at least until recently when it was unveiled to be an occasional cost-cutting driven lead balloon – grounded indefinitely, moments after the close the company said that the head of its 737 program, Eric Lindblad, was unexpectedly retiring after just one year in the post, triggering a leadership shuffle for another high-profile project: a proposed midrange jetliner.
The 34-year Boeing executive took charge of the 737 program, and the manufacturing site in Renton, Washington, last year as the U.S. planemaker struggled with late deliveries of engines and other components. Previously, Lindblad overrsaw development of Boeing’s new 777X widebody in Everett. His predecessor, Scott Campbell, vice president and general manager of the 737 program and Renton site leader, retired at the end of the year after three decades at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
According to the company, Lidnblad’s retirement isn’t related to the crisis at Boeing after two of its Max models crashed in October and March, triggering a global grounding.
Lindblad, 57, “shared with me his desire to retire last year, and we will now begin to embark on a thoughtful and seamless transition plan,” Kevin McAllister, who runs the planemaker’s $60 billion commercial division said in a message to employees Thursday.
In other words, just another guy who wanted to spend more time with his family.
In his stead, Boeing’s single-aisle program will be run by Mark Jenks, who previously headed all aspects of a proposed aircraft known within Boeing as NMA, for new midmarket airplane.
In separate news, Attorney General William Barr said he would recuse himself from the DOJ’s investigation into Boeing Co BA.N after two 737 MAX airplane crashes killed 346 people, a spokeswoman for Barr said Thursday. Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Barr has recused himself because his former law firm is representing Boeing. Reuters and other outlets reported in March that federal prosecutors aided by the FBI were scrutinizing the development of the 737 MAX jetliners. Boeing did not immediately commen
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2Gb9tQX Tyler Durden