A US federal jury has cleared Boeing of liability in a $250 million lawsuit brought by LOT Polish Airlines over losses stemming from the global grounding of the 737 MAX. The verdict was delivered in a Seattle federal court after a trial examining LOT’s claims that Boeing’s alleged purposeful and negligent false representations and omissions about the 737 MAX led to substantial lost revenue.
LOT had sought at least $250 million in damages, arguing that the 20‑month grounding of the 737 MAX, along with deferred deliveries during a period of planned growth, disrupted its operations and reduced income. The aircraft type was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and late 2020 following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.
The jury found that Boeing was not liable for LOT’s alleged losses, rejecting the carrier’s fraud-based claims. According to court documents cited by international media, the panel concluded that Boeing’s conduct did not meet the legal threshold for the damages sought. A Boeing spokesperson said the company was gratified by the verdict.
The decision closes one of the more prominent airline compensation cases tied to the 737 MAX grounding, which affected carriers globally with parked fleets, revised schedules, and deferred capacity plans while regulators reviewed and ultimately recertified the type.