United Airlines cancels 8,000 flights due to grounded Boeing jets

CHICAGO — United Airlines expects to cancel more than 8,000 flights through October because of the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max planes.

United said Friday that it is dropping its 14 Max jets from the schedule until Nov. 3 — a month longer than previously planned.

The airline has used spare planes to cover flights that it planned to fly with the Max. Still, cancellations are rising because United was counting on receiving more Max jets this year, but Boeing suspended deliveries in March.

Chicago-based United said that without the planes, it will cancel 40 to 45 flights a day this month, about 60 a day in August, roughly 70 a day in September and 95 a day in October.

Southwest Airlines, which has 34 Max jets — more than any other carrier — does not expect the plane back before Oct. 1 and is canceling about 150 flights a day.

American Airlines has dropped its 24 Max planes from the schedule through Sept. 3, eliminating about 115 flights a day.

The Max was grounded around the world in mid-March after the second of two deadly crashes that killed 346 people.

Boeing Co. is working to fix flight control software that appeared to play a role in the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, according to preliminary accident reports.