United Airlines announced a loss of $124 million in the first quarter, attributing it to the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9s for three weeks following an incident involving an Alaska Airlines Max jetliner in January. The airline stated that it would receive fewer new planes from Boeing this year than anticipated and has started leasing Airbus jets to supplement its fleet.
Despite the financial setback, United Airlines highlighted strong demand for air travel, particularly within the United States and across the Atlantic. The company projected a better-than-expected profit for the second quarter, leading to a 5% increase in its shares during after-hours trading.
