Boeing pays Alaska Air more than $160m after blowout
Regulators temporarily grounded nearly 200 Boeing 737 Max 9’s after a door plug fell from an Alaska Air plane shortly after take-off.
Thousands of flights were cancelled.
Airlines are now contending with delivery delays as Boeing slows production of new planes to try to resolve manufacturing and safety concerns.
In February, budget carrier Ryanair warned holidaymakers faced paying higher fares because of the delays.
United Airlines, which had also warned investors of a financial hit from the grounding, recently asked pilots to volunteer for unpaid leave, due to the delivery changes.
In January, Alaska warned of a roughly $150m hit. “Although we did experience some book away following the accident and 737-9 MAX grounding, February and March both finished above our original pre-grounding expectations,” the airline said.
