On Wednesday, Boeing announced that the leader of its problematic 737 MAX program will be replaced immediately. This is the first significant departure of an executive since the midair panel explosion incident involving a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 on January 5.

After almost 18 years with the airplane company, Ed Clark left as Boeing was facing their current crisis and has promised to increase their focus on improving quality.

Production of the plane-maker has been limited by regulators, while lawmakers and customers have been closely examining the production and safety protocols.

Boeing has quickly attempted to clarify and enhance their safety protocols following an incident where a door panel separated during a flight on a recently delivered Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. This resulted in pilots having to make an unplanned landing while passengers were exposed to a large opening at an altitude of 16,000 feet.

Sources familiar with the situation have reported that Clark left his position following a board meeting this week where changes were approved by Boeing. He was responsible for overseeing the production facility in Renton, Washington, where the involved plane was built.

In 2021, Clark was appointed as the head of the 737 program after serving as the chief mechanic and engineer. He became the fifth individual in the past four years to lead the 737 program.

Katie Ringgold has been appointed as the new vice president and general manager of the 737 program, as stated in a memo from Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal to employees, as reported by Reuters. Deal emphasized the company’s commitment to meeting or surpassing all quality and safety standards for every aircraft delivered, citing the expectations and rights of their customers.

Boeing faced another setback while trying to restore its image, as the 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months after two deadly crashes resulting in the loss of 346 lives. This grounding was lifted in November 2020.

Executives in the airline industry have voiced their discontent with Boeing’s standards of quality. The sole other significant producer of commercial airplanes is Airbus, based in France.

The Seattle Times was the first to report the memo.

The MAX 9 was put on hold by the FAA for a few weeks in January, and production of the MAX has been limited by Boeing while an investigation is conducted into their manufacturing process. This process has faced various problems with quality in recent times.

According to an initial report from the U.S. National Safety Transportation Board in early February, it seems that the MAX 9’s door panel that came loose was lacking four crucial bolts. This panel is inserted on certain 737 MAX 9s instead of an extra emergency exit.

As stated in the report, the door plug that was causing issues was taken out for repairs due to damage to the rivets. However, the NTSB has not uncovered any proof that the bolts were put back in place.

The revelation has sparked frustration among the airline clients of Boeing. Certain clients, such as Alaska Airlines, stated that they will implement more rigorous quality checks on planes prior to their departure from the Boeing facility.