After weighing exit, Boeing CEO says he’ll see 737 Max crisis to end

Boeing’s embattled boss said he has considered stepping down in the wake of two deadly crashes but vowed to stay on to lead the planemaker through one of the worst crises in its 103-year history. “It’s fair to say I’ve thought about it,” Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said Wednesday about resigning. “But to be frank, that’s not what’s in my character.” The Chicago-based manufacturer has been engulfed in crisis since March, when regulators grounded its best-selling 737 Max after two accidents killed 346 people. The pressure on Muilenburg has mounted as the plane’s anticipated return has slipped from May to Q4 -- or beyond -- while regulators scrutinise redesigned software for the jet’s flight control system. The accidents “happened on my watch, and I feel obligated, I feel responsible to stay on it, work with the team to fix it, to see it through,” Muilenburg said. Muilenburg said he would still like to be Boeing CEO three years from now, adding that he intended to stay on “as long as the board allows me to serve in this role.<br/>