SEATTLE, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Boeing ( BA ) said on

Tuesday that Stephanie Pope was no longer the planemaker's chief

operating officer as of Feb. 19, but she is continuing to serve

as the head of its commercial airplanes business.

The company does not plan to fill the chief operating

officer position, according to a person familiar with the matter

who was not authorized to comment publicly.

Pope was appointed to the newly created role of chief

operating officer in December 2023, after then-CEO David Calhoun

named her as his choice to succeed him.

After a mid-air panel blowout on a nearly new 737 MAX jet in

January 2024, Pope was also named the head of Boeing Commercial

Airplanes.

The accident put renewed focus on production quality

problems in the division and contributed to Calhoun's exit from

the company. In August, Kelly Ortberg became Boeing's ( BA ) new chief

executive.

Avolon CEO Andy Cronin said this month the aircraft lessor,

a major Boeing ( BA ) customer, was "really encouraged by what we are

seeing" at the company after touring production facilities in

Seattle in January.