A federal jury in Seattle has cleared Boeing of claims that it concealed safety issues with 737 MAX aircraft sold to LOT Polish Airlines last decade. The verdict, handed down in U.S. District Court in Seattle, found Boeing not guilty of defrauding LOT by withholding information about a flight-control system modification, the airline contended.
LOT's lawsuit alleged that Boeing failed to disclose a critical change to the popular single-aisle jet's flight-control systems. That change has been publicly linked to two fatal 737 MAX accidents in 2018 and 2019 which led regulators worldwide to ground the type for 20 months. The airline sought $153 million, saying those losses flowed from the extended grounding of the aircraft.
The matter was tried over two weeks before the jury returned to deliberate. After roughly three hours of deliberation, jurors delivered a verdict in Boeing's favor.
A Boeing spokesperson responded to the court's decision, saying, "We are gratified by the jury's verdict in our favor today." The statement reflects the company's position at the close of the trial.
LOT issued a brief response acknowledging the outcome while indicating that further legal steps remain possible. In its statement the airline said, "As the legal process may not yet be concluded, LOT will not comment further on the details of the proceeding at this stage." That language leaves open the potential for additional appeals or filings, though no further actions were detailed in the court record provided at the time of the verdict.
The jury's decision resolves the specific fraud claim brought by LOT in U.S. District Court in Seattle, but the airline's statement underscores that the legal process related to this dispute may not be finished. The case centered on whether Boeing intentionally withheld information about a system change tied to two fatal accidents and the subsequent grounding that led to the damages sought by LOT.
This ruling concludes the trial phase of the dispute between the airline and the manufacturer; beyond the verdict itself, the parties' statements indicate differing next steps may be considered as the legal process continues.