Boeing removes Stephanie Pope as part of operational restructuring

The decision to eliminate the COO position comes after several troubling incidents, including a midair door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX flight in January 2024 and two fatal crashes involving the same aircraft model. These events highlighted the need for improved production quality and stricter safety protocols within Boeing's commercial manufacturing divisions.

These incidents also led to increased regulatory and consumer scrutiny, culminating in the departure of CEO David Calhoun. Pope assumed leadership of Boeing Commercial Airplanes from Stan Deal shortly after Kelly Ortberg became the new CEO.

Under Ortberg's direction, Boeing is realigning its senior management team to tackle long-term challenges more effectively. Ortberg expressed confidence in Pope's leadership, stating:

"Stephanie and her team are all over this. They’re doing a very good job. Our customers are giving us good feedback in this area, and we’re getting decent feedback from the FAA, too."

The restructuring has been positively received by Boeing customers, with major clients like aircraft lessor Avolon offering supportive remarks about Pope's leadership. However, more leadership changes are expected; Chief Aerospace Safety Officer Mike Delaney is set to retire this year without a named successor yet.

Additionally, Boeing plans to simplify its board of directors. Sabrina Soussan, a former CEO from the energy industry who joined Boeing's board in