Southwest Airlines pilots don't expect to fly 737 Max jets until February

Pilots at Southwest Airlines, the largest operator of Boeing 737 Max jets in the United States, believe the plane won't return to service until February next year, as much as two months later than the aircraft manufacturer's target.

Competitors American and United airlines, Southwest Airlines, which has a Max fleet of 34, has said it expects the Max to resume commercial flights in January. But Boeing believes the aircraft will return to service in the fourth quarter of this year.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association has sued Boeing, alleging the manufacturer "deliberately misled" the airline about the Max, forcing the cancellation of about 30,000 flights and costing the pilots about $100 million in lost wages. The airline has said it will share any payment from Boeing over the Max grounding with employees.