Chinese airlines will incur losses of CNY4 billion ($580 million) if their grounded Boeing 737 MAXs do not return to the air by June 30, the China Air Transport Association said.
The loss will be greater if the grounding extends into the second half of the year, the association said. Its calculations include the impact of the airlines’ inability to use aircraft already delivered and those for which the companies are awaiting delivery.
MAXs were grounded worldwide and deliveries halted in March after two crashes in five months.
All 13 Chinese airlines that have ordered MAXs have filed compensation claims with Boeing.
At least two of them—China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, both based in eastern China—have begun ferrying MAXs to uncongested airfields to the west. China Eastern said it has put aircraft at Taiyuan and Lanzhou. Xiamen Airlines is also using Lanzhou, along with Shijiazhuang and Yinchuan.