Contrary to statements by Boeing that it has satisfied its customers demand for compensation after the grounding of its Dreamliner aircraft, LOT airlines says that it is still waiting to be financially compensated.
“We were not satisfied at all financially,” LOT spokesman Robert Moren has told Business Week magazine.
Boeing Chief Executive Officer W. James McNerney said on 24 July, however, that “there were some instances where we had obligations to customers, and those have all been satisfied.”
Poland’s Treasury Ministry estimated in February that the grounding of all Dreamliner 787s – LOT was the first European airline to purchase the new aircraft – for the first half of this year – cost the Polish carrier around 2.5 million euros a month.
The loss-making LOT, due to receive five of eight 787s it ordered in an attempt to expand its transatlantic and long-haul offers.
Deputy Economy Minister Rafal Baniak said that costs accumulated by the loss of Dreamliner flights could be as much as 25 million euros and LOT CEO Sebastian Mikosz told Reuters: “We are demanding from Boeing concrete sums that we have been able to calculate. Unfortunately, it's not possible to estimate all the losses to our image related to the loss of credibility among some of our customers."
The Dreamliner fleet, worldwide, has continued to have problems since returning to the skies in June.
A fire broke out on an empty Ethiopian Airlines 787 at Heathrow in London, forcing the airport to temporarily close.
In July, Qatar Airways grounded a 787 due to problems with an electrical panel and ANA and United Airlines found damage to battery wiring on two Dreamliner emergency beacons, the same device suspected of causing fire at Heathrow.
Alicja Otap
