The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Monday that it will not hear Boeing’s request for the high court block the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) from suing the company.
The association claims that Boeing interfered with its business relationship with Southwest and fraudulently induced the pilots to agree to fly the Max, according to Courthouse News Service. Boeing successfully argued in state and federal lower courts that the association’s argument was preempted by the Railway Labor Act of 1926, which was designed to avoid lengthy labor disputes and enforce collective bargaining agreements, but the Supreme Court of Texas reversed the decision. It cited a Federal statute that the act could only apply to would apply only to the airlines and their employees, according to SimpleFlying. The Supreme Court seems to agree with this conclusion.
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SWAPA will continue its 2019 lawsuit against Boeing. It will be heard under the jurisdiction of Texas, rather than the federal courts, according to AirInsight Group. The lawsuit was filed after two Boeing 737 Max jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the deaths of 346 people, according to the Hill. The aircraft was grounded for 20 months and Southwest reduced pilots’ hours. The crashes were determined to be caused by the faulty Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System that Boeing had kept hidden from pilots. The FAA had predicted the system could cause 15 crashes over 30 years. SWAPA seeks compensation for lost wages and union fees on behalf of thousands of member pilots.
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