11 Chinese airlines seek compensation from Boeing over grounded 737 MAX fleet

As Boeing seeks to resume flights for its once bestselling 737 MAX commercial aircraft, 11 Chinese airlines are looking to recover financial damages from the US jet maker, Xinhua reports.

The 11 airlines, including the country’s three largest flight operators—AirChina, China Eastern, and China Southern—have confirmed that they had asked Boeing for compensation resulting from grounded aircraft and late jet deliveries.

As of the end of March, the China Air Transport Association has grounded 96 Boeing 737 MAX planes in the country, affecting 13 domestic airlines. The decision was made after the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which killed all 157 passengers on board.

Chinese airlines were originally planning to have another 130 787 MAX jets join their fleets. Should the affected planes remain unflyable at the end of June, Chinese companies would lose about RMB 4 billion (USD 580 million), according to the CATA.

The aviation authority said in a statement today that it supports its members’ claim against Boeing, as the halted flights have caused significant damage to China’s aviation industry.