Ed Clark, who had been with the planemaker for nearly 18 years, departed as Boeing has been dealing with its latest crisis and has vowed to ramp up quality efforts.
Regulators have curbed the planemaker's production and lawmakers and customers have been scrutinizing production and safety measures.
Boeing has scrambled to explain and strengthen safety procedures after a door panel detached during flight on a brand new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing while passengers were exposed to a gaping hole 16,000 feet above the ground.
Clark's departure came after Boeing's board met this week and approved the changes, according to sources familiar with the matter. He oversaw the company's production facility in Renton, Washington, where the plane involved in the accident was completed.
Clark was previously chief mechanic and engineer for the 737 before being named head of the program in 2021. He was the fifth person in four years to run the 737 program.
Katie Ringgold is replacing him as vice president and general manager of the 737 program, according to a memo seen by Reuters sent to staff by Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal, who said the planemaker was working to ensure "that every airplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements. Our customers demand, and deserve, nothing less."
Boeing also said Elizabeth Lund was named to the new position of senior vice president for Boeing Commercial Airlines Quality leading quality control and quality assurance efforts.
Mike Fleming will succeed Lund as senior vice president and general manager, Airplane Programs and he will continue leading Boeing's customer support team.
This is Boeing's second major crisis in recent years, after crashes in 2018 and 2019 of MAX planes killed 346 people. Airline industry executives have expressed frustration with Boeing's quality control. The only other major manufacturer of commercial aircraft is France's Airbus.
"Firing the head of the MAX program was likely a matter of time, but I don’t think it means very much," said Richard Aboulafia, managing director of aerospace consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory and a Boeing critic. “The company’s problems are cultural, with the tone being set from the top.”
The memo was first reported by the Seattle Times.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun plans to meet with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Mike Whitaker next week after the U.S. aviation regulator traveled to Renton, Washington to tour the Boeing 737 plant.
The FAA said Whitaker "will discuss what he observed during his visit to Boeing with the company’s executives when they come to Washington to discuss" the company’s emphasis on their quality control system and other issues.
Boeing shares were down 0.8% on Wednesday.
PRODUCTION DELAYS
The FAA grounded the MAX 9 for several weeks in January and has capped Boeing's production of the MAX while it audits the planemaker's manufacturing process, which has suffered a string of quality issues in recent years.
Boeing on Jan. 30 withdrew a request for a key safety exemption for its MAX 7 jet, which could push approval out until at least 2025.
The door panel that flew off the MAX 9 appeared to be missing four key bolts, according to a preliminary report from the U.S. National Safety Transportation Board in early February. The panel is a plug in place on some 737 MAX 9s instead of an additional emergency exit.
According to the report, the door plug in question was removed to repair rivet damage, but the NTSB has not found evidence the bolts were re-installed.
The disclosure has prompted anger among Boeing's airline customers. Some including Alaska Airlines announced they would conduct enhanced quality oversight of planes before they leave the Boeing factory.
