Delivery bottleneck at Boeing: Airline asks pilots to take vacation. United does not expect to deliver all of the Boeing jets it has ordered this year or next.
Almost the entire deficit consists of Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including a new, larger model. United is now considering options to replace orders for the Max 10. Since the Alaska Airlines disaster, federal authorities have been investigating production quality issues at Boeing. FAA approval will likely be further delayed as Boeing faces increased scrutiny since the near-miss of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 in January.