Dozens of grounded Boeing 737 MAX planes crowd a parking area near its factory in Seattle.Credit:AP
"We are taking appropriate steps to manage our liquidity and increase our balance sheet flexibility the best way possible as we are working through these challenges,"Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith said in the statement,which comes less than a week before the planemaker plans to release financial results on July 24.
The writedown underscores the financial cost to Boeing from the two deadly crashes. New flight-computer software on the MAX has been linked to the disasters in Indonesia and Ethiopia,and company engineers are still working on an update.
'Defining moment for Boeing'
"This is a defining moment for Boeing,"Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said in the statement."Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the flight crews and passengers who fly on our airplanes. The Max grounding presents significant headwinds and the financial impact recognised this quarter reflects the current challenges and helps to address future financial risks."
In a tweet,Muilenburg said the grounding"presents significant challenges for our customers,company and supply chain".