Boeing's new CEO, David Calhoun, has been in his role for about a week and has already made a candid admission about the company's struggles. In the wake of the 737 Max crisis, Calhoun stated, "We were our own worst enemy." He aims to rebuild trust among employees and customers following the abrupt departure of his predecessor, Dennis Muilenburg.
Calhoun emphasized that restoring consumer confidence in the 737 Max jets hinges on pilot support. "When pilots get on that airplane and support that airplane, I believe passengers will follow," he said during a media call. The 737 Max has been grounded globally since March 2019 after two fatal crashes within six months, which claimed 346 lives.
Boeing announced in December that it would suspend production of the 737 Max starting this month. Calhoun anticipates production will resume a few months before the jets return to service, likely in mid-2020. He also noted that the company's supply chain will likely be "reinvigorated" before that time.
Calhoun acknowledged that Boeing made a "fatal assumption" about pilot responses to the MCAS software system, which played a role in the crashes. He pledged to improve oversight, stating, "We will do things to shine brighter lights, we will do things to create more authorities and approvals and all the things you would expect us to do."