Southwest Pilots Union Sues Boeing Over Alleged Lost Wages From 737 Max Scandal
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The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association sued aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Monday over alleged lost wages due to the grounding of 737 Max planes, which have been out of operation for months in light of two fatal crashes. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Southwest pilots claim the groundings have cost them over $100 million collectively, as around 30,000 flights have been canceled. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Dallas, Texas, also claims that Boeing misrepresented the safety of the planes by saying the 737 Max was essentially the same plane as its previous 737 model. “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,” Jon Weaks, president of the pilots association, said in a statement. A Boeing spokesman said the lawsuit is “meritless,” and the company would “vigorously defend against it.” Two 737 Max plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia late last year and earlier this year caused 346 deaths.