This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
Published on October 9, 2019, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association has filed a lawsuit against Boeing over lost pay amounting to $100 million as a result of the grounding of the 737 MAX aircraft.
The pilots accuse Boeing of prioritizing profits over safety, sound design, and engineering practices in the redesign of the 737.
According to Jonathan Weaks, the Union president, 'We have to be able to trust Boeing to truthfully disclose the information we need to safely operate our aircraft. In the case of the 737 MAX, that absolutely did not happen.'
The union has been negotiating with Boeing for compensation since early September but has not been able to come to an agreement.
Southwest Airlines, the largest owner of 737 MAX airplanes with 34 jetliners in its fleet, has canceled more than 30,000 flights since the grounding of the aircraft in March after two crashes killed 346 people.
The airline estimates that by the end of the year, its passenger service will have been reduced by about 8% because of the MAX grounding, resulting in a decreased number of hours the pilots fly.
