United Airlines is facing a financial loss in the first quarter of 2024 due to the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, which were involved in a mid-air incident on Jan. 5, 2024. A panel called a door plug blew off the side of an Alaska Airlines plane, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to order inspections of 171 Max 9 jets. United has 79 of these planes in its fleet, more than any other carrier.
The FAA also recommended inspections of another Boeing model, the 737-900ER, which uses the same door design. United has about 130 of these planes. The grounding and inspections have forced United and Alaska to cancel hundreds of flights this month, affecting their revenue and operations. United expects to lose between 35 cents and 85 cents per share in the first quarter.
Boeing has said it will improve the quality of inspections in its manufacturing processes in response to the incident.
