US jury backs Boeing in major 737 MAX lawsuit tied to global jet grounding

A US jury has ruled in favour of Boeing, rejecting claims that the company hid safety concerns related to 737 MAX aircraft sold to LOT Polish Airlines in the previous decade.

The verdict was delivered on Friday in US District Court in Seattle after the airline accused Boeing of withholding information about a major modification to the aircraft’s flight-control systems.

Claims linked to global 737 MAX grounding

LOT argued that the undisclosed change was connected to the two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, incidents that resulted in the aircraft being grounded worldwide for 20 months.

The airline sought $153 million in damages, claiming the prolonged grounding caused significant financial losses.

Following a two-week trial, jurors spent three hours deliberating before reaching their decision in Boeing’s favour.

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“We are gratified by the jury’s verdict in our favor today," a Boeing spokesperson said.

LOT acknowledged the outcome of the case but indicated the legal process may not yet be over.

"As the legal process may not yet be concluded, LOT will not comment further on the details of the proceeding at this stage," the company said.

Boeing 737 Max 8 fatal crashes 

Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea in October 2018 just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737 Max 8, and investigators later linked the disaster to problems with the jet’s flight-control system. The crash became the first major accident involving the 737 Max series and raised global concerns over the aircraft’s safety.

Another Boeing aircraft, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa in March 2019, killing all 157 passengers and crew members on board.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 went down minutes after departure, marking the second fatal crash involving the aircraft model within a span of months.