MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. The Russian lowcoster Pobeda expects that deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger jets will start with a six-month delay, a source in the airline told TASS.
Supplies were to start in November 2019 but operation of Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes is banned until ascertaining the circumstances of jet crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia at the turn of last year—early this year.
"We await those [new aircraft — TASS] with a six-month delay in supplies," the source said, referring to information received from Boeing. According to the source, the aircraft manufacturer will face penalties under the contract in case of shifting deliveries by more than six months.
An official spokesperson of the airline did not comment on the new lead time for the airplanes but noted that the deliveries would not start until there is confidence as to the absolute safety of the jet.
Pobeda ordered fifteen airplanes of this model. The lowcoster’s fleet currently includes thirty jets of the previous generation — Boeing 737-800 NG.
On March 10, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 of the Ethiopian Airlines crashed in Ethiopia, killing 157 people. The crash of a similar model aircraft occurred on October 29 last year in Indonesia, claiming 189 lives. After the crash in Ethiopia, many countries, including Russia, the US, and the EU states, suspended the operation of the Boeing 737 MAX for safety reasons. The Boeing company expressed confidence in the safety of the aircraft of this series, but stated that it understands the decision of regulators to suspend flights.