Boeing is currently transforming its business. As a result, former CEO Dave Calhoun has departed, and Kelly Ortbeg has come in.
The newly appointed CEO faces an uphill battle to turn around the fortunes of the major planemaker. Although ultimately, Ortberg wouldn’t be the first person tasked with this, he hopes to be the first to succeed.
Calhoun’s tenure was a rough one. It came in at arguably one of the lowest points the planemaker had seen, following two devasting crashes, a pandemic, and much more.
However, while his tenure seemed to progress positively at the beginning of 2024, it quickly showed how much hadn’t changed during what was meant to be a pivotal time.
Ortberg has now been selected as the successor, and his role has never been more important and equally hands-on, as visits to production facilities will be crucial. As Ortberg commences his role, key airline customers have also begun meeting with the CEO to discuss the future.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, an airline that is one of Boeing’s most important customers, had lunch with Ortberg last week to discuss the company’s future.
In a change of pace, Kirby highlighted that the conversations with the newly appointed head were incredibly encouraging and instilled confidence.
Many airlines worldwide have recently lacked this confidence, with faith in Boeing’s product at an all-time low.
Kirby reaffirmed his belief that Boeing is on track to recovery under new leadership and following substantial investments in transforming culture and safety.
Furthermore, the United boss stated his belief that recovery will occur sooner than most people would imagine as all the fundamental things to turn around the company are being implemented correctly.
Kirby believes that Ortberg’s appointment is a fantastic choice, considering his close relationship with the aviation industry through previous roles.
Ortberg’s focus remains on the cultural changes that need to be made internally, and Kirby is confident because he has discussed this focus with him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Fowkes is a Melbourne-based aviation analyst and journalist with over a decade of industry experience. As founder of Dj’s Aviation, he delivers trusted analysis on aircraft, airline strategy and global aviation trends for djsaviation.net
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