Boeing’s chief political lobbyist in Washington DC, Tim Keating, has abruptly left the company.
The Chicago-based airframer did not respond to a request for comment after media reports surfaced on 21 June that Keating, the company’s executive vice president of government operations, was ousted without notice. No reason was given.
In a note to the company’s government affairs employees, chief executive David Calhoun said that chief strategy officer Marc Allen would take on the responsibilities of the role on an interim basis, the reports say.
Attempts to reach Keating were unsuccessful.
According to a Boeing media release dated 1 March 2018, Keating joined the company in 2008 as senior vice-president of government operations and moved to the executive vice-president role in 2018.
He helped the company navigate the crisis following two fatal crashes of the firm’s re-engineered Boeing 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019. Following the accidents, the type was grounded for 20 months before regaining certification in most jurisdictions in November 2020.
Prior to coming to Boeing, Keating worked for Honeywell International and lobbying firm Timmons and Company. He also served in the Clinton administration as special assistant to the President and staff director for White House Legislative Affairs.
On 18 June, the company said that the largest version of the 737 Max family, the 737 Max 10, took its maiden flight in Renton, Washington state. The first flight kicked off the Max 10’s certification programme and Boeing aims to deliver the first -10 in 2023.
