Southwest pilot union sues Boeing over its 'rush' to sell unsafe 737 Max

BUSINESS

Southwest pilot union sues Boeing over its ‘rush’ to sell unsafe 737 Max

Workers stand near a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jetliner being built for American Airlines prior to a test flight in Renton, Washington, in May. The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots is suing Boeing and calling the grounded 737 Max unsafe. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said Monday that Boeing rushed the plane into service and misled pilots by saying it was little different than previous versions of the 737. The union says those claims turned out to be false. | AP

Bloomberg

Oct 8, 2019

DALLAS – The union for Southwest Airlines Co. pilots sued Boeing Co., saying the manufacturer rushed output of the 737 Max jet to stay competitive, withholding key information about a feature that contributed to two fatal crashes within five months.

“Boeing made a calculated decision to rush a re-engined aircraft to market to secure its single-aisle market share and prioritize its bottom line,” said the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association suit. The union said it’s seeking at least $115 million for damages sustained through the end of this year, primarily for lost pay and legal expenses.

“Boeing abandoned sound design and engineering practices, withheld safety critical information from regulators and deliberately misled its customers, pilots and the public about the true scope of design changes,” the suit said.