United Airlines Takes $200 Million Hit from Boeing 737 Max 9 Grounding: Loss of 86 Planes and Delayed Deliveries

Portland, Oregon, Oregon United States of America
As a result, United now expects to receive only 61 new narrow-body jets in 2024, down from the initial plan of up to 183 planes.
The airline had to cancel hundreds of flights and switch planes on many others due to the shortage of Boeing planes.
The grounding was caused by an incident on an Alaska Airlines flight where a door plug blew off during takeoff.
United Airlines took a $200 million hit in Q1 2024 due to the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes.
United had more of these planes (86) than any other carrier and was hit hardest by the grounding.
United Airlines Takes $200 Million Hit from Boeing 737 Max 9 Grounding: Loss of 86 Planes and Delayed Deliveries

United Airlines took a significant financial hit in the first quarter of 2024 due to the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes following an incident on an Alaska Airlines flight. The airline reported a loss of $124 million, or 38 cents per share, for the quarter.

The FAA temporarily grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a door plug blew off during takeoff on an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5, causing an emergency landing. United Airlines had more of these planes (86) than any other carrier and was hit hardest by the grounding.

As a result, United Airlines received far fewer new planes from Boeing this year than anticipated. The airline now expects to receive only 61 new narrow-body jets in 2024, down from the initial plan of up to 183 planes. To fill out its fleet, United has leased Airbus A321neos for delivery in 2026 and 2027.

The grounding cost United Airlines $200 million in the first quarter, which would have resulted in a profit if not for this unexpected expense. The airline had to cancel hundreds of flights and switch planes on many others due to the shortage of Boeing planes.

Boeing's difficulties in producing and delivering Max jets also mean that United will no longer expect the Max 10, which it had ordered, to be delivered this year. Instead, United has asked Boeing for Max 9s in place of some of the Max 10 orders.

The FAA's safety review and investigations into the incident are expected to further delay Boeing's launch of the new, larger model, the Max 10. The grounding also forced United to ask its pilots for voluntary unpaid time off next month and could extend that request into the fall due to a shortage of planes.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby reassured travelers that United is safe despite a series of incidents, including engines catching on fire and wheels falling off planes. The FAA has stepped up its oversight of the carrier in response to these events.

The airline forecasts earnings between $3.75 and $4.25 per share in the second quarter, ahead of analysts' estimates of about $3.76 a share.



Confidence

96%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential issues with Boeing's production and delivery process that could contribute to the delay in plane deliveries?
  • How accurate are the financial losses reported by United Airlines due to the grounding?

Sources

98%

  • Unique Points
    • United Airlines cut its aircraft-delivery expectations for the year as it grapples with delays from Boeing.
    • The airline expects to receive just 61 new narrow-body planes this year, down from 101 it had expected at the beginning of the year and contracts for as many as 183 planes in 2024.
    • United is leasing 35 Airbus A321neos in 2026 and 2027, turning to Boeing’s rival for new planes as the U.S. manufacturer faces caps on its production and increased federal scrutiny.
    • The airline has converted some Max 10 planes for Max 9s.
  • Accuracy
    • United expects to receive just 61 new narrow-body planes this year, down from 101 it had expected at the beginning of the year.
    • United is leasing 35 Airbus A321neos in 2026 and 2027.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

91%

  • Unique Points
    • United Airlines took a $200 million hit in the first quarter due to the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes following a door plug incident on an Alaska Airlines flight.
    • United had more Boeing Max 9 jets (86) than any other airline and was hit hardest by the grounding.
    • The FAA grounded the Boeing 737 Max 9 model for three weeks following the January incident.
  • Accuracy
    • United expects to take delivery of only 61 single-aisle jets from Boeing this year, down from an anticipated 101 at the start of the year.
  • Deception (80%)
    The article provides clear information about the financial impact of Boeing's problems on United Airlines. However, the author makes editorializing statements that imply blame towards Boeing without providing concrete evidence. For example, 'Boeing and its ongoing quality issues' and 'Boeing publicity woes'. These statements are not factual assertions by the author but rather their opinion. Additionally, the article uses sensational language such as 'fresh questions about the safety and quality of Boeing planes' which can manipulate emotions of readers.
    • The airline took a $200 million hit in the first quarter after the Boeing 737 Max 9 was grounded following the door plug incident aboard an Alaska Airlines flight.
    • Boeing's publicity woes and the grounding of the jets weren’t the only way that the airplane manufacturer hurt United.
    • United has also been hit with a series of other incidents, including engines catching on fire and wheels falling off of planes.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. It uses sensationalist language like 'pushed into the red' and 'airline said Tuesday' without providing context. The author also references United CEO Scott Kirby's response as a reaction to Boeing's issues, which is an appeal to authority. Additionally, there are no formal logical fallacies present in the article.
    • ]United was pushed into the red by Boeing and its ongoing quality issues
    • The blow out of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight caused a three-week grounding by the Federal Aviation Administration of the 737 Max 9 model of jets, and brought fresh questions about the safety and quality of Boeing planes. United, which depends on Boeing planes for about 80% of its mainline fleet, had 86 of the Max 9 jets, more than any other airline in the world and it was hit particularly hard by Boeing’s problems.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

91%

  • Unique Points
    • Thousands of flights were cancelled as inspections were carried out before the US aviation regulator cleared the planes to resume flying.
    • , Boeing paid $160m to Alaska Airlines to make up for losses it suffered.
    • Engineer Sam Salehpour accused Boeing of taking shortcuts in the construction of its 787 and 777 jets and was threatened with termination after raising concerns with bosses.
    • A door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 blew off shortly after take-off on January 5, terrifying passengers and forcing an emergency return to the Portland, Oregon airport.
    • United has more Boeing Max 9 jets (86) than any other airline and was hit hardest by the grounding.
  • Accuracy
    • United Airlines suffered a $200m loss in the first quarter of 2023 due to grounding its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet for three weeks after a mid-air cabin blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight.
    • United has 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9s in its fleet, more than any of its rivals, and second only to Alaska Airlines.
    • Boeing paid $160m to Alaska Airlines to make up for losses it suffered.
    • The latest incident raised fresh questions about the safety of Boeing's aircraft following two fatal crashes of 737 Max 8 passenger jets in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
  • Deception (80%)
    The article reports facts about United Airlines' financial losses due to the grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet after a mid-air cabin blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight. However, the author makes editorializing statements such as 'United said it "would have reported a quarterly profit" otherwise' and 'operations were also impacted by delays to deliveries of Boeing planes'. These statements are not factual assertions by the author but rather her interpretation or opinion. Additionally, the article mentions Boeing's response to safety concerns raised by an engineer, Sam Salehpour, but does not disclose that he is a whistleblower until later in the article. This could be considered selective reporting as it presents information out of context and in a way that may mislead readers.
    • operations were also impacted by delays to deliveries of Boeing planes
    • United said it "would have reported a quarterly profit" otherwise
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority by mentioning the US Senate hearing and the whistleblower's allegations against Boeing. She also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that 'fresh questions about the safety of Boeing's aircraft' were raised after the incident on Alaska Airlines.
    • But Boeing said the allegations were 'inaccurate'
    • She is set to be the key witness at a US Senate hearing on 17 April.
    • The latest incident raised fresh questions about the safety of Boeing’s aircraft.
  • Bias (95%)
    Mariko Oi's article reports facts about United Airlines' financial loss due to the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet after a mid-air cabin blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight. However, she also includes several statements that express a negative opinion towards Boeing and its planes, which could be seen as bias. For example, she states that United 'was forced to cancel thousands of flights' due to inspections and that the airline 'would have reported a quarterly profit otherwise'. She also mentions the recent pressure on Boeing due to safety concerns raised by a whistleblower and the two fatal crashes of 737 Max 8 passenger jets. These statements could be perceived as expressing a negative bias towards Boeing and its planes.
    • Boeing faced intense scrutiny after two fatal crashes of 737 Max 8 passenger jets in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people.
      • The latest incident raised fresh questions about the safety of Boeing’s aircraft.
        • United was forced to cancel thousands of flights
          • United would have reported a quarterly profit otherwise
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          96%

          • Unique Points
            • United expected to receive far fewer new planes from Boeing this year than anticipated
            • Airbus jets were leased to fill out United’s fleet due to plane shortage
          • Accuracy
            • Boeing’s difficulty in producing and delivering Max jets means that United now expects to receive 61 of them this year instead of previously expected number
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication