Transportation

United Airlines to Defer Some New Planes Due to US Safety Review

  • Evaluation by FAA follows string of recent mishaps at carrier
  • Deferred handovers to have ‘minimal’ impact on 2024 capacity

The deferrals mark the second example of how United is being constrained by a Federal Aviation Administration review that began in late March.

Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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United Airlines Holdings Inc. has put off delivery of at least three Boeing Co. Max 9 aircraft due to limits placed on its operations while federal aviation regulators carry out a safety evaluation at the carrier.

The deferrals mark the second example of how United is being constrained by a Federal Aviation Administration review that began in late March following a series of headline-grabbing safety incidents. The mishaps included an aircraft running off a Houston runway and a wheel falling off another plane just after takeoff. Airline safety throughout the US has been under heightened scrutiny since a fuselage panel broke off an Alaska Airlines flight Jan. 5.