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Meanwhile Mr Kellner, who has served on the Boeing board for 13 years and been chairman since 2019, claimed it was “the right time for a transition to my successor”.
He is set to be replaced as chairman by Steve Mollenkopf, who will also lead the search to find Mr Calhoun’s successor.
Mr Mollenkopf, who was previously chief executive of chip giant Qualcomm, said: “I am fully confident in this company and its leadership and together we are committed to taking the right actions to strengthen safety and quality, and to meet the needs of our customers.”
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary, who has been a vocal critic of Boeing in recent months, said he welcomed “these much-needed management changes”.
After the January panel blowout, airline executives at first expressed support for Mr Calhoun but that backing has ebbed following production delays and quality problems uncovered by regulators at the company’s manufacturing hub in Seattle.
A group of US airline chiefs later reportedly sought meetings with Boeing directors – without Mr Calhoun – to express their frustration over the Alaska Airlines accident and the way it had been handled by management.
Following Monday’s announcement, shares in Boeing rose by 1.5pc – although the stock remains nearly 25pc down so far this year.
Analysts said the shake-up may help Boeing change the narrative but that much would depend on who was chosen as the company’s next boss.
Some have suggested Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive and now chief executive of Spirit AeroSystems, as one possible successor to Mr Calhoun.
Mr Shanahan’s “sole priority remains building a culture of safety” at Spirit, a spokesman said Monday.
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