Boeing takes $5 billion hit as Indonesian airline cancels 737 MAX order

The Garuda cancellation would only put a small dent in the number of total 737 MAX aircraft on order. Based on data from Boeing, as of February there were 4,636 unfilled orders, so the outstanding order from Garuda would account for a little more than one percent of Boeing's backlog. Still, Garuda's exit could signal bigger long-term problems for Boeing as other carriers with mixed fleets of aircraft re-evaluate their positions.

Other major customers such as FlyDubai and the leasing company GECAS (formerly GE Capital Aviation Services) may be less reluctant to pull the plug if they see the aircraft as a potential liability.