Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are seen parked at a Boeing facility on August 13, 2019 in Renton, Washington.
David Ryder | fake images
Southwest Airlines said Tuesday that it will have to cut its capacity plans and reassess its financial forecasts for the year, citing delivery delays since boeingyour sole aircraft supplier.
The Dallas-based airline said Boeing informed Southwest leaders that it should expect 46 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes this year, down from 58. Southwest expected Boeing to deliver 79 Max planes, including some of the smallest model, the Max 7 , which has not yet obtained certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Because of the delays, Southwest said in a document that it is “reevaluating all previous guidance for 2024, including capital spending expectations.”
Southwest's remarks, ahead of a JPMorgan industry conference on Tuesday, are the latest sign of how Boeing's quality control crisis and production problems (both before and after a door plug came out of a Alaska Airlines flight in January) are weighing on some of their best customers.
Alaska Airlines said in a filing Tuesday that its 2024 capacity is “changing due to uncertainty about the aircraft delivery schedule as a result of increased scrutiny by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Justice of Boeing and its operations.” .
Last week, United He told staff he would have to stop hiring pilots this spring because Boeing planes arrived late, CNBC reported. Southwest said it stopped hiring pilots, flight attendants and other employees this year. and hopes to finish 2024 with a smaller staff than last year.
Southwest shares fell more than 12% in morning trading. The airline said leisure bookings in the first quarter were weaker than expected and forecast unit revenue would hold steady at no more than 2% compared to a year earlier, below a January estimate of an increase. up to 4.5%.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
