China Eastern Airlines announced it will claim losses from US aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing after its 737 MAX fleet was grounded worldwide for safety reasons following the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
So far, the overall impact of the 737 MAX disruption has been lessened, as it occurred after the Chinese New Year peak season, ThePaper reported, citing an airline spokesperson. It didn’t disclose the amount of compensation it would be asking for.
The spokesperson said the carrier originally planned to add 11 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2019, but this is now under consideration. There are 14 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the airline’s fleet, which have been grounded since mid February.
The Chinese carrier expects the investigation of the Boeing 737 MAX to be finalized soon. It has been actively communicating with Boeing concerning the issue, a senior manager said, and before any future moves are made, it must be determined whether the aircraft has a serious design flaw.
A brand new Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX crashed in Indonesia just months before the Ethiopian Airlines crash, and investigators say the two incidents are very similar, raising concerns about the MCAS software used in the aircraft.
As reported earlier by CNN, Boeing may face compensation claims of more than US$2 billion, and that amount is still growing.