Written by Abhijit Ganapavaram, Rajesh Kumar Singh, David Shepherdson
(Reuters) – U.S. airlines warned on Tuesday that plans to increase capacity were jeopardized by further delays in jet deliveries from Boeing Co., as the blow to the airline industry from the airline's safety crisis deepens. did.
The airline industry has lowered delivery expectations for this year due to problems at Boeing Co., complicating efforts to meet record travel demand.
Boeing Co. has come under increased scrutiny from regulators, with safety and quality standards in the company's manufacturing processes being investigated following the tragic Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines midair panel explosion. .
“Boeing deliveries will be significantly delayed this year,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said at a press conference, adding, “I can't say when the MAX 10 will be certified.”
United Airlines stock closed 1.7% lower, while Southwest Airlines stock fell nearly 15% after Boeing lowered its delivery forecast for this year. Boeing shares have fallen 29% since the beginning of the year, and closed 4.3% lower.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday that public investigative hearings into the Alaska Airlines incident will be held on Aug. 6 and 7.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told Reuters last week that the hearing would include testimony from employees of Boeing Co., aircraft maker Spirit Aerosystems Inc., Alaska Airlines Inc. and others.
The airline said Tuesday that the MAX 9 involved in the incident had a pressurization warning light illuminated during three previous flights, prompting the airline to refrain from long flights over water, and the flight was delayed until late Jan. 5. confirmed a New York Times report that maintenance was scheduled for 2017. plane.
“The maintenance was not postponed or past its deadline; it was simply scheduled for the 5th,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement.
fleet plan
After the Alaska Airlines crash, the Federal Aviation Administration curtailed Boeing's plans to expand 737 production, and certification of the MAX 7 and 10 models has been further delayed due to design changes.
United Airlines announced earlier this year that it would build out its fleet plan without its largest model, the MAX 10.
Rival Southwest, the smaller MAX 7's biggest customer, said Tuesday it expects MAX deliveries from Boeing Co. to be 42% lower this year than previously expected, resulting in reduced production capacity in 2024. He said there is a high possibility that it will be done.
This is the second time Southwest Airlines has lowered its delivery forecast this year.
Boeing has advised Southwest Airlines to expect 46 aircraft, all of which will be MAX 8s, in 2024, down from the previous forecast of 79 MAX 7s, the airline said Tuesday. stated in the submitted documents.
The deliveries do not include the MAX 7, which has been delayed and is still awaiting FAA certification. Southwest Airlines previously expected to have 21 MAX 7 jets this year.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan stressed the need to reduce capacity and “reoptimize schedules” for the second half of 2024, but said the latest forecast has changed again. “I'm not surprised,” he said, and as a result, full-year production capacity will be reduced by 1 percentage point.
Kirby said United approached Airbus about purchasing additional A321neo jets to fill a potential gap caused by delays in the MAX 10, which is scheduled to be certified after the MAX 7.
If the A321neo's price doesn't work out for the airline, the airline will increase its reliance on the MAX 9, which has 179 seats, and is prepared to move orders back to the MAX 10 once the jet, which has 185 seats in its current configuration, is certified. Probably. He said.
A large backlog is making it difficult for airlines to move orders to Airbus, the world's only major commercial aircraft manufacturer.
Alaska Airlines also said its 2024 supply plans are still in flux due to the Boeing crisis.
Chief Executive Officer Ben Minicucci said the company does not expect to receive all 47 aircraft deliveries from Boeing over the next two years.
Boeing announced Tuesday that it will add weekly compliance checks to all work areas on its 737 planes and additional audits of equipment to help alleviate quality issues.
“We will not hesitate to shut down production lines or keep planes in place,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Diehl said in a memo to employees. .
Boeing announced it delivered 27 planes in February, one less than the same month last year.
(Reporting by Abhijit Ganapavaram and Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru, Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago, David Shepherdson in Washington, additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal, David Gaffen, Shinjini Ganguly and Jamie Freed edit)
