Copa Airlines seeks compensation from Boeing for the financial impact of 737 MAX 9 grounding, as it led to the cancelation of 20% of daily flights.
The grounding and potential delivery delays have reduced Copa Airlines' estimated capacity growth for the year.
Copa Airlines expects to be fairly compensated and joins other airlines, such as Alaska Airlines, in seeking compensation from Boeing.
Panama City-based Copa Airlines is seeking compensation from Boeing as a result of the 737 MAX 9 grounding. In a fourth-quarter earnings call, COPA executives said they were looking to hold the US plane manufacturer accountable for the financial impact the grounding had on the company and its customers.
Copa Airlines reported net income of $191.8 million in the last quarter. However, as the largest MAX operator in Latin America, the grounding of the 737 MAX 9 caused the airline to cancel around 20% of its daily flight schedule, according to the airline’s chief executive officer, Pedro Heilbron. He told investors,

“The grounding of 21 of our 737 MAX 9 following the airworthiness directive issued by the FAA impacted our operations from January 6 to January 29. Aside from the impact of the grounding on our Q1 2024 financial and operational results, it seems that this year's 737 MAX deliveries are likely to be further delayed, reducing our estimated capacity growth for the year to approximately 10% from our original expectation of between 12% to 14%.”