Boeing’s Stephanie Pope holds a news conference at Le Bourget Airport in Paris on June 20, 2023.
Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt | Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt AFP | Getty Images
london – boeing companyProduction of the company’s 737 Max aircraft is showing signs of improvement, the new head of the company’s commercial arm said on Sunday ahead of a major air show, while also acknowledging that the manufacturer had “let down” customers with delays.
Boeing is working on Overcame several safety and manufacturing crisesThat includes an in-flight door plug explosion in January that slowed deliveries to airlines and prompted the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to tighten oversight of the storied manufacturer.
Stephanie Pope, in her first news conference since taking over a key role at the troubled plane maker in March, reiterated Boeing’s commitment to increase Max production to 38 planes per month. Analysts said output fell to more than $20 a month in the first half of the year.
Pope said Boeing is on the right path to improving manufacturing quality, safety and delivery predictability, a “transformation” she said will take several years.
“This still does not take away the reality that we have let our customers down,” she told a press conference ahead of the Farnborough air show in suburban London. “We impacted their business, but we failed to deliver on our commitments and be the partner they expected and needed us to be.”
Boeing announced a series of goals aimed at getting it back on the right path, such as improving worker training and manufacturing processes. This spring, it submitted an improvement plan to the FAA that the agency ordered after the January blowout.
“This plan is not a three-month plan,” Pope said. “I call it transformative because some of these actions take years.”
As part of a leadership reshuffle to promote Pope to lead the commercial unit, Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said Pope would resign by the end of the year.
Asked if she was interested in the role, Pope said she was focused on the recovery of the commercial sector.
“This is my top priority,” she said.
Boeing’s problems extend beyond its commercial programs, however. Its defense sector has also been grappling with delays, including Losing money and delaying modifications Two Boeing 747 aircraft will serve as the next two Air Force One aircraft.
The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft was assembled on June 25, 2024, at the company’s plant in Renton, Washington, USA.
Jennifer Buchanan | Reuters
Ted Colbert, the unit’s chief executive, said Boeing will continue to “address some challenges that really stem from supply chain challenges.”
Colbert said at the same news conference that Boeing will report quarterly results on July 31 and will report expenses for the unit.
