WestJet could face costly delivery delays due to panel blowout on Boeing plane

WestJet faces indefinite delays on dozens of new aircraft deliveries after a panel blowout on a Boeing 737 Max plane last month prompted a halt to greater production at the US aircraft maker. The Calgary-based carrier bought 42 Boeing 737 Max 10 jetliners in 2022, with options for 22 more — on top of nearly two dozen earlier Max orders still in the pipeline. The multibillion-dollar deals were slated to bolster WestJet’s fleet by at least 65 planes — 50 of them Max 10s — by 2029 in a move the airline called a "game-changer" that would reduce fuel costs and “underpin” its growth. However, the Max 10 has yet to receive final certification and, after the panel emergency, US regulators said they would halt production expansion at Boeing until safety concerns were sufficiently addressed. The FAA grounded all 737 Max 9s for inspection and launched a probe after a panel known as a door plug tore away from the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane while in flight on Jan. 5, leaving a refrigerator-sized hole in the cabin wall and prompting an emergency landing. As of Feb. 5, 94% of the 144 Max 9s flown by United Airlines and Alaska Airlines — two-thirds of all Max 9s in operation globally — had been cleared to return to service, according to the FAA. WestJet said it could handle the production turbulence. "We continue to work closely with Boeing on all aspects of aircraft delivery and timelines. We believe our order book and fleet planning have the built-in flexibility to support WestJet’s growth plans," spokeswoman Madison Kruger said in an email. The Max 10 is the largest plane in the latest line of 737s and offers 20% fewer carbon emissions per passenger than the previous generation. <br/>