"United Airlines' $200M Hit: Earnings Surge Despite Boeing 737 Max Blowout"
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Washington Post
United Airlines reported a $200 million cost due to the emergency grounding of Boeing's 737 Max 9 jetliner, leading to a net loss of $124 million in the first quarter of 2024. The grounding resulted in widespread disruption, forcing the airline to cancel thousands of flights, reformulate schedules, and pause hiring. The FAA's deeper scrutiny of Boeing's manufacturing processes also delayed delivery times for carriers, including United. To cope with the delays, United adjusted its fleet strategy, reducing reliance on the Max 10 and converting some orders to Max 9s, while also signing letters of intent to lease new Airbus A321neos. The blowout incident and subsequent FAA audit revealed significant weaknesses in Boeing's quality control, prompting the company to launch new protocols for inspecting the manufacturing process.