A finding by a Mexican airline that pilot error was to blame for a deadly passenger jet crash in May was dismissed as premature Tuesday by the Cuban authorities charged with determining the cause of the accident.
An investigative commission said in a statement read on state TV that it has not completed its analysis of "many factors" that could have contributed to the May 18 crash. "For that reason, any assertion about the possible causes that caused the fatal accident is premature."
FILE - In this May 18, 2018 file photo, Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, third from left, walks away from the site where a Boeing 737 plummeted into a yuca field just after takeoff with more than 100 passengers on board, in Havana, Cuba. Cuba's government dismissed on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 accusations from Global Air that human error is to blame for the accident, saying it is too early in the investigation. (AP Photo/Enrique de la Osa, File)
Mexican airline Global Air said in a statement Monday that the pilots of the Boeing 737 took off at too steep of an angle before the aircraft crashed near the runway of the international airport in Havana.
The May 18 accident killed 112 people and was one of the worst aviation disasters in Cuban history.
Global Air, which also operates under the name Damojh Airlines, said that it recreated the flight using the black boxes and a simulator as it seeks to restore its operating license in Mexico.
Mexico's civil aviation authority said it is still conducting its own analysis and has not issued a finding.
DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines will limit hiring and stop flying to four airports as it copes with weak financial results and delays in getting new planes from Boeing.
Both Southwest and American Airlines reported first-quarter losses Thursday. Demand for travel remains strong, including among business flyers, but airlines are dealing with higher labor costs, and delays in getting new aircraft from Boeing are limiting their ability to add more flights.
Southwest said it lost $231 million. CEO Robert Jordan said the airline was reacting quickly “to address our financial underperformance," including by slowing down hiring and asking employees to take time off.
The Dallas-based carrier said it expects to end this year with 2,000 fewer employees than it had at the start of the year.
In August, Southwest will stop flying to four airports: Cozumel, Mexico; Syracuse, New York; Bellingham, Washington; and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where the airline’s major operation is at smaller Hobby Airport. Southwest hasn't left an airport since 2019, when it pulled out of Newark, New Jersey, and consolidated its New York City-area flying at LaGuardia Airport.
Southwest will also trim flights in Atlanta and at O’Hare Airport, which augments the airline's main Chicago service at Midway Airport.
The moves will help the airline focus on more profitable locations and deploy a fleet of planes that will be smaller than it had planned. Southwest said it expects to get only 20 new 737 Max 8 jets from Boeing this year, down from the 46 it expected just a few weeks ago. It will offset some of the shortage by retiring fewer planes.
Boeing is struggling with slower production since a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 in January, and that is frustrating its airline customers.
Dallas-based Southwest said that its loss, after excluding special items, was 36 cents per share. That was slightly worse than the loss of 34 cents per share that Wall Street expected.
Revenue rose to $6.33 billion, below analysts' forecast of $6.42 billion.
American said it lost $312 million as labor costs rose 18%, or nearly $600 million. The airline said it expects to return to profitability in the second quarter — a busier time for travel — and post earnings between $1.15 and $1.45 per share. Analysts expect $1.15 per share, according to a FactSet survey.
The first-quarter loss amounted to 34 cents per share excluding special items, which was worse than the loss of 27 cents per share forecast by analysts.
Revenue was $12.57 billion.
CEO Robert Isom said American is less impacted by Boeing's problems because the airline had already received hundreds of new planes in recent years. The airline said eight Boeing jets it expected to get won't show up this year as planned. American has ordered Boeing Max 10s, a larger model that has not yet been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, but those planes are not due until 2028.
“I've talked to everyone at Boeing that I can possibly address and the message is the same: Get your act together,” Isom said on a call with analysts and reporters. “It starts with producing quality products one at a time off the assembly line ... I can't tell you if they're making progress or not.”
American has had no problem getting new, smaller regional jets from Embraer. Isom said the Brazilian manufacturer has been “incredibly reliable.”
Shares of Southwest fell more than 7% in midday trading, while American was down 1%.
FILE - An American Airlines jetliner waits on a runway for departure from Denver International Airport Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Denver. American Airlines reports earnings on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - A line of Southwest Air Boeing 737 jets are parked near the company's production plant while being stored at Paine Field Friday, April 23, 2021, in Everett, Wash. Southwest Air reports earnings on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
