After a rupture in the air, Boeing paid $160 million to Alaska Air

Boeing has compensated Alaska Air with a payment of $160m (£126m) to address the losses incurred by the airline due to a significant mid-air blowout incident in January.

Alaska announced that the funds would help compensate for the financial losses incurred during the initial quarter of the year, with additional payments anticipated in the coming months.

Regulators have issued a temporary grounding for approximately 200 Boeing 737 Max 9 jets. This action was taken in response to an incident where a door plug fell from an Alaska Air plane shortly after take-off.

Countless flights were disrupted.

Nevertheless, the decision has faced criticism from a law firm representing certain passengers on the Alaska flight.

“It seems that Boeing prioritizes compensating those whose corporate profits were at risk, rather than those whose lives were in danger and almost lost,” commented Daniel Laurence, a partner at the Stritmatter Firm.

Alaska Airlines will receive $160 million from Boeing for a 737 Max door plug blowout

Airlines are currently facing challenges due to delivery delays, as Boeing has decided to reduce the production of new planes in order to address manufacturing and safety issues.

In February, Ryanair issued a warning about potential fare increases for holidaymakers due to the delays.

United Airlines, which had previously alerted investors about the financial impact of the grounding, has recently requested pilots to consider volunteering for unpaid leave in light of the delivery adjustments.

In January, Alaska issued a cautionary statement about a potential financial impact of around $150 million. “Despite facing challenges due to the accident and grounding of the 737-9 MAX, the airline reported that both February and March exceeded their initial expectations,” the airline stated.

Boeing declined to provide a comment, however, it had previously cautioned that it anticipated exceeding its projected spending by at least $4 billion during the initial quarter of the year.

The company has been facing significant challenges since the 5 January incident, where passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon to California narrowly avoided serious harm.

A recent report from the US National Transportation Safety Board has found that there was an issue with the bolts used to secure the door to the aircraft.

Boeing is currently under scrutiny for the incident and is also facing legal action from passengers on the plane.

Last month, the chief executive, Dave Calhoun, announced his decision to step down by the end of the year. This departure marks a significant change in leadership for the company in light of recent events.