According to CNBC, United Airlines has forecasted a first quarter loss due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 plans after an incident on Jan 5 occurred on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, where a part blew out mid flight. United earlier said that they expected the planes to remain grounded until January 26, however the FAA on Wednesday lifted its ban as it approved new inspection and maintenance checks for the plane according to Reuters. Shortly after, Alaska Airlines resumed MAX 9 service on Friday. The grounding of the plane had impacted 20% of the airline’s fleet.

 As a result of the FAA’s initial decision, United Airlines expects a loss of thirty-five to eighty-five cents per share for the first three months of the year. This expected loss comes as a stumbling start to the new year for United Airlines, especially when compared to their numbers for 2023. The company reported a revenue of $13.63 billion in 2023, which is 10% up from the year before. The year has just started, however, and only time will tell how the rest of it will go for the airline as well as the Boeing MAX 9 Aircraft.