Boeing made mistakes on 737 MAX says Southwest CE, hopeful planes return in US summer

Boeing made mistakes with its 737 MAX planes that need to be addressed, Southwest Airlines CE Gary Kelly said Wednesday, but he said he is still hopeful that the jets will return to service in the US summer. Southwest, which only flies 737s and is the world's largest MAX operator, has bet its growth strategy on the fuel-efficient, longer-range MAX, which was grounded worldwide in March. As a result, Southwest has canceled 160 daily flights through Aug 5, hitting revenue and costs, and putting its growth plans on hold. The carrier launched service to Hawaii earlier this year but has had to defer flying there from San Diego and Sacramento because of the MAX groundings. Asked by a shareholder whether he was seeking compensation from Boeing, Kelly said: "No one is happy with the situation. All of our growth is with the MAX." <br/>