Boeing's woes could mean higher airfares for U.S. travelers

Boeing's production woes could lead to higher airfares and fewer flights for travelers to choose from. 

The aviation giant is experiencing production delays as it grapples with the fallout from a Jan. 5 emergency on an Alaska Airlines flight, including addressing manufacturing and other operational defects. That is delaying aircraft deliveries for carriers including United Airlines and Southwest Air Lines.

Boeing data shows that through the end of February, it had a backlog of nearly 4,800 orders for  737 Max aircraft. That included 71 737 Max planes purchased by American Airlines, 100 for Delta Air Lines, 219 for Ryanair, 483 for Southwest and 349 for United. Their expected delivery dates were not specified. The aircraft manufacturer delivered a total of 42 737 Max jets in the first two months of the year.