When Dave Calhoun stepped into the corner office at Boeing in early 2020, people basically saw him as the "clean-up guy." The company was already reeling from the 737 MAX tragedies in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Trust was at an all-time low. Regulators were breathing down their necks. Honestly, it was a mess. Calhoun, a longtime board member and GE veteran, was supposed to be the steady hand that steadied the ship.
Instead, his four-year stint became a rollercoaster of crisis management that arguably ended with even more questions than when he started.
By the time Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun officially handed over the keys to Kelly Ortberg in August 2024, the narrative hadn't just shifted; it had fractured. You've got the January 2024 Alaska Airlines door plug blowout that "shook him to the bone," a phrase he used himself. That single incident felt like a tipping point for a lot of people. It wasn't just a technical glitch; it looked like a systemic culture problem that hadn't been fixed.
The GE Playbook in an Engineering World
One thing most people get wrong about Calhoun is the idea that he was an "aviation guy." Technically, he spent years at GE Infrastructure and GE Aircraft Engines, but his DNA was built in the Jack Welch era of General Electric. That means a heavy focus on financial metrics, lean operations, and shareholder value.
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Critics often argue this was exactly the wrong medicine for Boeing.
While Airbus was aggressively moving forward with the A321neo, Boeing—under Calhoun—seemed hesitant to commit to a brand-new "clean sheet" airplane. They were focused on fixing the MAX and paying down the massive debt piled up during the pandemic and the groundings.
It was a defensive game.
In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Calhoun famously admitted that Boeing made a "fatal mistake" regarding the MCAS software on the MAX. But he also ruffled feathers by suggesting that pilots in the fatal crashes didn't have the same level of experience as U.S. pilots. It was a moment of bluntness that some saw as refreshing honesty and others saw as shifting the blame.
A Series of Unfortunate Manufacturing Events
It's kinda wild how many quality issues cropped up under his watch. We aren't just talking about the door plug. There were:
- FOD (Foreign Object Debris): Workers finding trash, tools, and rags left inside the fuel tanks of brand-new tankers and jets.
- 787 Dreamliner Gaps: Microscopic gaps in the fuselage that halted deliveries for over a year.
- Spirit AeroSystems Friction: The constant tension with their primary supplier, which Boeing eventually decided to just buy back in 2024 to get a handle on quality.
Calhoun's strategy was "transparency," or at least that was the buzzword. He held town halls. He spoke to the FAA regularly. But the "90-day plan" mandated by FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker in early 2024 was a clear signal that the government didn't think Boeing was moving fast enough on its own.
The Payday Paradox
One of the loudest criticisms of Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun involved his compensation. In 2022, he took home about $22.5 million. Even in 2023, while the company was still struggling with delivery delays and safety audits, his total compensation package was valued at roughly $33 million, though he did decline a $2.8 million bonus after the Alaska Airlines incident.
To the average person, or the family members of crash victims, these numbers felt like a slap in the face.
It highlights the massive gap between corporate governance and public perception. The board saw him as the guy holding the company together during a literal existential crisis. The public saw a guy getting rich while the planes literally lost parts in mid-air.
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What Really Happened in the End?
The announcement in March 2024 that Calhoun would step down by the end of the year didn't come as a shock to anyone following the industry. It was more of a "when," not "if." The board needed a total reset.
They also cleared out Stan Deal, the head of the commercial airplanes division, and Larry Kellner, the board chair. It was a house cleaning.
The Legacy Left Behind
So, did he fail? It’s complicated.
On one hand, Boeing is still here. He navigated the company through a global pandemic that grounded the entire travel industry. He managed to get the 737 MAX back into service in most parts of the world.
On the other hand, the "engineering culture" that once made Boeing the gold standard of the world still feels broken to many insiders. The 777X is years behind schedule. The defense wing is losing billions on fixed-price contracts like Air Force One.
Actionable Takeaways for Following Boeing's Future
If you're an investor, a frequent flyer, or just a business nerd, here is how to track if the "Calhoun Era" issues are actually being solved by the new leadership:
- Watch the Delivery Numbers: Boeing’s health is tied to how many jets they actually hand over to airlines. If the 737 and 787 delivery rates don't stabilize by late 2026, the supply chain issues are deeper than they’ve admitted.
- Monitor FAA Oversight: Keep an eye on the "safety management system" (SMS) reports. If the FAA continues to limit production rates, it means the quality audits are still failing.
- The Spirit AeroSystems Integration: Watch how Boeing re-assimilates its fuselage maker. This is a massive logistical challenge that will define the next five years of their manufacturing quality.
- Labor Relations: The 2024-2025 period saw significant labor unrest, including a major strike. How the new CEO handles the specialized workforce in the Pacific Northwest will determine if they can actually build planes without constant delays.
Boeing is a 100-year-old titan. It doesn't turn on a dime. Dave Calhoun’s tenure was a bridge between the old "efficiency at all costs" mindset and whatever Boeing is trying to become now. Whether that bridge led to a safer future or just delayed the inevitable remains the biggest debate in aviation.
The "eyes of the world" are still on them, just like Calhoun said. But now, they're looking for results, not apologies.