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Boeing's chief executive Dennis Muilenburg resigns with immediate effect. The
American aviation concern reports this.
 
The board of directors found a change at the top needed to restore confidence
in the company, it is said.
 
Boeing is in a difficult position after two fatal crashes with his 737 Max
device. All aircraft of that type have been on the ground since March. That
will remain so until there is clarity about any technical defects. There is
still an investigation into the cause of the two crashes. Last week Boeing
announced that the production of the 737 MAX will be temporarily suspended
from January.
 
The pressure on Muilenburg became too great. At the end of October, Boeing's
senior executive still had to face the scrutiny of the American Congress.
There he did not go much further than apologizing to the families of the
victims.
 
Now he resigns. He is succeeded at the top of Boeing by David Calhoun. He will
not start until January 13, until then financial director Greg Smith will be
interim CEO. In the press release from Boeing, Calhoun says that he strongly
believes in the future of Boeing and - strikingly - the 737 MAX.
 
David Calhoun succeeded Muilenburg in October as chairman of the board of
directors, now he does the same as CEO.
 
The 737 Max, the aircraft manufacturer's best-selling aircraft, has been on
the ground since March after two fatal accidents with 346 victims. The
accidents, in Indonesia and Ethiopia, were caused by software that pushed the
nose of the planes down. The ban on having the 737 Max fly cost the aircraft
manufacturer more than 9 billion dollars - almost 8.1 billion euros. So far
Boeing has continued to produce 737 MAXs, around 42 a month.

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