In a letter to employees dated January 31st, released by Boeing, Calhoun emphasized that increased scrutiny, whether from internal sources, regulators, or external stakeholders, will ultimately improve the company. At the same time, speculation about a potential shake-up heightened this week following Boeing's decision to retract a safety exemption request that could have expedited the certification process for its upcoming aircraft, the 737 MAX 7. While this decision was made under pressure from lawmakers, it raised concerns about Boeing's relationship with key customers like Southwest Airlines, the largest purchaser of the MAX 7, and cast doubt on the timeline for the MAX 10, a sister model.