New York (AFP)

The bill for the setbacks of the 737 MAX flies to nearly $ 8 billion for Boeing: the aircraft manufacturer warned Thursday that its quarterly profits would be heavily affected by the grounding of this flagship aircraft but he also suggested that he could fly by the end of the year.

The aerospace giant said in a statement that it would fund a total of $ 5.6 billion in its accounts for the second quarter to be published July 24.

Of this amount, $ 4.9 billion is to be used to cover the costs incurred after two accidents 737 MAX that have made 346 dead, and the immobilization of all such devices in the world since March.

Boeing nevertheless felt that the end of the tunnel was near, expecting this aircraft to get air early in the last quarter of this year while stressing that it was far from certain.

"This assertion reflects the best estimate of the company so far but the exact period of return to service could diverge from this estimate," warned the Chicago group.

Boeing has still not submitted to the regulators, for certification, the patch of the anti-stall system MCAS implicated in both accidents.

The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) has also recently detected a microprocessor problem with a "potential risk".

This new problem, which could affect the actual design of the aircraft, has pushed many experts to predict the return of the 737 MAX in service for the first quarter of 2020, especially since the three American airlines operating it --American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest-- have extended cancellations until early November.

- No decline in production -

Once the ban is lifted, it will take them at least 30 to 45 days to make the aircraft operational, said Southwest, which has the largest fleet in the world of 737 MAX with 34 aircraft, AFP.

"Given everything we know right now, a return to service between December and January is the most reasonable date," says Scott Hamilton at Leeham. Michel Merluzeau, at Air Insight Research, believes "the first quarter of 2020 would be good news for Boeing".

"The FAA will lift the ban when it thinks it is safe to do so," a spokesman for the air regulator told AFP.

The aircraft manufacturer previously estimated at $ 1 billion the cost of the 737 MAX crisis between mid-March and mid-April. But experts and observers expected this amount to plummet given the suspension of deliveries and the disruption caused to the airlines, which had to cancel tens of thousands of flights.

Boeing is also being sued by families of victims of both accidents - Ethiopian Airlines (157 dead) and Lion Air (189 dead) - and has taken the lead by pledging to pay them $ 100 million.

A specific fund has been created with $ 50 million available immediately. It is managed by Kenneth Feinberg, a famous American lawyer specializing in compensation funds for victims.

The charge of $ 4.9 billion will be used to compensate the renters of aircraft and airlines over several years. These compensations include financial compensation as well as discounts that Boeing could grant to airlines or model aircraft exchanges.

"We intend to ask for financial compensation for flight cancellations of the 737 MAX and because of the delays in delivery that we suffer and potentially to seek compensation of other kinds," said the Mexican company Aeromexico.

In addition to the exceptional quarterly provision, Boeing will also incur a $ 1.7 billion increase in the manufacturing costs of the 737 MAX, primarily due to a reduction in production rates from 52 to 42 aircraft per month since immobilization of the aircraft.

The aerospace manufacturer, however, closed the door to a further decline in production, saying it expects to rise to 57 aircraft per month in 2020.

© 2019 AFP