LOT Polish Airlines Sues Boeing In Court While Continuing To Fly 26 737 MAX Jets

LOT Polish Airlines has taken Boeing to court in a high-profile dispute over the 737 MAX grounding, even though the Warsaw-based Star Alliance carrier continues to rely on the type across its network. The case pits one of Boeing's own customers against the manufacturer at trial, while 26 MAX jets remain in LOT's active fleet and four more are still on order.

For LOT, the 737 MAX was meant to anchor a turnaround from the financial difficulties that marked much of the 2010s. The aircraft's fuel efficiency and lower operating costs were central to that plan. Instead, the type's worldwide grounding — followed by the COVID-19 pandemic — left the airline facing revenue losses it now argues Boeing should compensate.

What LOT Is Arguing In Court

According to Reuters, LOT's case centers on the claim that Boeing knowingly hid safety problems with the 737 MAX while pushing aggressive sales campaigns that successfully persuaded airlines to commit to the jet.

LOT agreed to lease 15 MAX aircraft, betting on the type as a cornerstone of its recovery strategy. The airline contends that Boeing continued promoting the aircraft even after the first fatal accident involving Lion Air flight 610 in October 2018.

A second crash, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in March 2019, led regulators to ground the MAX worldwide for 20 months. Both accidents were linked to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), a software feature designed to counter nose-up tendencies on the re-engined narrowbody.

LOT attorney Anthony Battista told the court: "This case is about Boeing's lies and deception and the devastating financial harm it caused."

Former LOT executive Maciej Wilk testified that a central part of Boeing's sales pitch was minimal additional pilot training when moving from the older 737 NG to the MAX — a selling point that helped the jet compete against the Airbus A320neo. LOT argues that critical information about MCAS and training requirements was not disclosed.

A Legal Fight That Started In 2021

LOT filed suit against Boeing in 2021, becoming the first airline to take the manufacturer to trial over grounding-related losses. Boeing has reached out-of-court settlements with other operators, but the Polish carrier's case has proceeded publicly through the courts.

The timing of the grounding hit LOT particularly hard. The airline had become more dependent on the MAX than many peers — it now operates more than four times as many MAX jets as older 737-800s. With the type sidelined for nearly two years, schedules collapsed just as the pandemic erased demand across Europe.

Boeing's legal team has pushed back sharply. The manufacturer's attorney accused LOT of hypocrisy, suggesting the airline cannot claim fraud on one hand while continuing to operate and expand its MAX fleet on the other.

LOT's MAX Fleet Keeps Growing

Despite the courtroom confrontation, LOT has not walked away from the 737 MAX. According to fleet data from ch-aviation, the carrier currently operates 26 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with an average age of 3.8 years. Four additional jets remain on order, which would bring the fleet to 30 aircraft once deliveries are complete.

Of the 26 MAX 8s already in service, 25 were listed as active at the time of reporting. The remaining aircraft, registered SP-LYG and less than four months old, was undergoing maintenance in Katowice.

The jets carry either 186 or 189 passengers in a flexible two-class layout, with business cabin capacity that can be adjusted depending on route requirements.

Why The Case Matters

The LOT trial is being watched closely by other 737 MAX operators. A carrier that still depends on Boeing's most important narrowbody product is simultaneously asking a jury to award damages for the same aircraft family's grounding — a tension that cuts to the heart of the dispute.

For Boeing, the case revives scrutiny over MCAS, pilot training assurances, and how the company communicated with customers before and after the two fatal crashes. For LOT, it represents an attempt to recover losses from a period that derailed its fleet renewal at the worst possible moment.

The outcome could influence how other airlines approach similar claims, even as the 737 MAX has returned to service and become one of the most widely flown jets in commercial aviation.