Lion Air Is Considering Canceling 200 Boeing Jet Order Following October Crash
Boeing released a statement in late November appearing to cast blame on the low-budget Indonesian airline.
Indonesian low-cost airline Lion Air is considering cancelling an order for more than 200 Boeing Co. (BA - Get Report) jets, The Wall Street Journal reported, following Boeing's comments after a fatal jet crash in November that seemed to place the blame on Lion Air.
"I'm seriously considering cancelling it," Lion Air co-founder Rusdi Kirana told the Journal. "It's not right, it's not ethical. We are partners; we are not enemies."
Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX jetliner, crashed into the Java Sea in October, killing all 189 people on board.
Last week, the Journal reported that Boeing said that it was "taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident," while also noting that the maintenance that was performed on the aircraft before its final flight failed to fix the problems that were apparent.
Lion Air is one of Boeing's largest customers and was the first company to commercially operate Boeing's MAX jet in 2017. Lion Air has ordered 251 of the jets with a list price of more than $25 billion.
Boeing provided a statement saying, "Lion Air is a valued customer and we are supporting them through this difficult time. We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident at Lion Air. We are taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident, and are working closely with the investigating team and all regulatory authorities involved."
