Boeing's chief executive Dennis Muilenburg resigns with immediate effect. The American aviation concern reports this.

The board of directors found a change at the top needed to restore confidence in the company, it is said.

Boeing is in a difficult position after two fatal crashes with his 737 Max device. All aircraft of that type have been on the ground since March. That will remain so until there is clarity about any technical defects. There is still an investigation into the cause of the two crashes. Last week Boeing announced that the production of the 737 MAX will be temporarily suspended from
January.

The pressure on Muilenburg became too great. At the end of October, Boeing's senior executive still had to face the scrutiny of the American Congress. There
he did not go much further than apologizing to the families of the victims.

Now he resigns. He is succeeded at the top of Boeing by David Calhoun. He will not start until January 13, until then financial director Greg Smith will be interim CEO. In the press release from Boeing, Calhoun says that he strongly believes in the future of Boeing and - strikingly - the 737 MAX.

David Calhoun succeeded Muilenburg in October as chairman of the board of directors, now he does the same as CEO.

The 737 Max, the aircraft manufacturer's best-selling aircraft, has been on the
ground since March after two fatal accidents with 346 victims. The accidents, in Indonesia and Ethiopia, were caused by software that pushed the nose of the planes down. The ban on having the 737 Max fly cost the aircraft manufacturer more than 9 billion dollars - almost 8.1 billion euros. So far Boeing has continued to produce 737 MAXs, around 42 a month.

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