This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
A Russian state-owned aircraft leasing company is suing Boeing, accusing the plane maker of hiding defects in its 737 MAX passenger jet.
Owned by Rostec, Avia Capital Services ordered 35 of the jets in 2012 but now wants to cancel the deal and get a $35 million deposit refunded, including interest.
It is also seeking $75 million in lost profits, as well as additional money in punitive damages, the Financial Times reported.
Filed in a state court of Illinois where Boeing is based, the lawsuit is the first by a Boeing MAX customer after 346 people were killed in two crashes involving the plane in the span of five months.
The lawsuit alleges Boeing misrepresented the jet’s airworthiness and was “negligent in how it designed and built the plane and convinced the Federal Aviation Administration to approve it,” AP reported.
Boeing declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
The aircraft manufacturer expects the MAX to get permission to fly in November once flight-control software is upgraded.
The 737 MAX series is Boeing’s best-selling jet.
In March, 157 people were killed in Ethiopia in a crash involving a 737 MAX and 189 died in a crash of a 737 MAX in Indonesia five months later.
