Musk has publicly clashed with the FAA and its former chief, Michael Whitaker. The Federal Aviation Administration is facing its first major aviation disaster in 16 years without a leader because Elon Musk helped push him out.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s leader stepped down on Jan. 20, months after Elon Musk demanded that he quit. The move by Michael Whitaker means the FAA has no Senate-confirmed leader for one of the biggest crises in its history because he quit before Donald Trump took office.

The leader of the Federal Aviation Administration stepped down from his position mere months after billionaire Elon Musk demanded that he do so, meaning that the FAA is missing a chief in the aftermath of the worst aviation disaster in the US in years.

BA stock, with -32% returns since the beginning of 2024, has significantly underperformed the S&P 500 index, up 27%.

Boeing argued that the exemption would enable quicker certification and delivery of the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10 aircraft.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company was “seeing encouraging signs” as it tries to turn around following a rough 2024.

Boeing said on Tuesday it was making progress on increasing plane production, and its shares jumped nearly 8%, despite the company recording its biggest annual loss in four years.

Boeing posted a roughly $4 billion loss for the fourth quarter, according to preliminary results last week. The company has taken charges that span its defense and commercial airplane units. CEO Kelly Ortberg is set to detail the company's next steps after safety and manufacturing crises.

Despite more than $11 billion lost last year, investors are growing more optimistic about Boeing’s financial health. On Tuesday, the plane maker released fourth-quarter earnings showing nearly $4 billion in losses.

The FAA initiated the rulemaking process to avert serious injuries to seated occupants on the seats of Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 aircraft.

President Donald Trump's nominee to head the U.S. Transportation Department said he will keep in place a cap on production of Boeing 737 MAX planes put in place after a mid-air panel blowout last year until he is satisfied it can be safely raised.

On today’s briefing we talk about DeepSeek’s impact on travel, AirAsia Move’s new chairman, and Boeing’s sunny take on cloudy earnings.