NEW YORK — Boeing announced on Thursday that a special counselor for litigation on the two 737 MAX crashes would retire at the end of 2019, the latest departure at the troubled aerospace giant.

J. Michael Luttig, 65, who has since May 1 been managing legal matters connected to the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes and advised on strategic matters, informed the board of his plans to retire, the company said in a news release.

Luttig had previously worked as general counsel at Boeing, before shifting into the special advisor role.

Brett Gerry, who was tapped as general counsel in May, will assume Luttig's portfolio, a Boeing spokesman said.

Boeing has been in crisis mode since March, when the MAX was grounded following the second of the two crashes that together killed 346 people.

On Monday, Boeing ousted chief executive Dennis Muilenburg and replaced him with longtime board member David Calhoun.

Other top executives in communications and commercial airlines have also exited the company in recent months.

Luttig joined Boeing after serving 15 years on the US Court of Appeals. He also worked at the White House under former President Ronald Reagan.— AFP