Nearly 1,000 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are currently active across the skies.
The MAX airplane has been “recertified” by the FAA, and more than 900 of these planes are now flying around the world. Alarmingly, one U.S. airline with 35 new MAX planes delivered in 2021-22 submitted a whopping 425 malfunction reports in the past year alone.
ARLINGTON, Va., May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Ryanair announced Europe's leading low-cost airline has selected the largest 737 MAX model to power its future growth with an order for up to 300 airplanes.
The FAA ultimately grounded the MAX on March 13, 2019 and lifted the flight prohibition order in November 2020 after Boeing made a series of software upgrades and training changes.
Current 737 MAX orders and status
As of late March 2023, there were 954 active 737 MAX aircraft in airline fleets (according to ch-aviation's data). This is up from around 580 a year previously.
The ultimate Boeing 737 MAX question is always, 'is it safe now? '. The answer to that is a resounding yes. The plane has been described as one of the most scrutinized aircraft in aviation history, with authorities like the FAA, EASA, and many more taking a very close look at the plane.
Boeing estimates that the average 737 MAX 7 aircraft would seat anywhere between 138 to 153 passengers. The MAX 8 would seat between 162 to 178 passengers, while the MAX 9 would seat 178 to 193 passengers, depending on the configuration.
An easy way, for now, to avoid the 737-MAX is to figure out which airlines are flying the plane, and when. If you don't want to fly it, the simplest solution would be to choose another airline. Here's the airlines with firm orders, or letters of intent to fly the 737 MAX, many of which have already been delivered.
“The 737 MAX fleet has operated for 1.8 million flight hours – about 800,000 flights – since November 2020. Fleet reliability is above 99.5% - that is actually where the Next-Generation 737 was at, so it's on par with the airplane it's replaced.” Schedule reliability of 99.5% is an impressive number indeed.
A Boeing 737 Max due to be delivered to Ryanair has had the model's name changed on the nose of the aircraft, it has emerged. Photos shared on Twitter show a plane in Ryanair colours outside Boeing's manufacturing base, with the name 737 Max replaced by 737-8200.
Aer Lingus introduced Boeing 737s to its fleet in 1969 to cope with the high demand for flights between Dublin and London. Later, Aer Lingus extended the 737 flights to all of its European networks.
On an American Airlines Boeing 737-800, for example, the seat-rating site SeatGuru warns of several “bad” seats, denoted in red. They include all the seats in row 30, at the back of the aircraft. The reasons are obvious: Like Conway's, the seats in row 30 are next to lavatories and don't fully recline.
The MAX resumed commercial flights in the U.S. in December 2020, and was recertified in Europe and Canada by January 2021.
April 10, 2023, at 6:07 p.m. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co intends to restore production of its bestselling 737 MAX jet to its 2019 rate of 52 a month by January 2025 as it seeks to fully recover from two deadly crashes and the COVID-19 pandemic that curtailed output, two people familiar with the matter said.
Boeing shares have tumbled more than 6% after the US plane-maker disclosed a manufacturing issue affecting its 737 Max planes. The aviation giant said a supplier had revealed that the installation of fittings on the rear of the planes did not follow the standard.
After manufacturing issues led to two incidents in 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded across the world. In 2021, after rigorous testing, Civil Aviation Authorities in many places in the world cleared the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Brazil, and the EU.
After a 20-month review that included design and software changes as well as enhanced training, the FAA agreed in late 2020 to allow the plane to fly again. Airlines around the world began returning them to service last year, though they remain grounded in some countries, most notably China.
With two crashes causing fatalities, the fatal-accident rate of the 737 Max would be 4 flights per million. That's far higher than for most modern airliners.
Union officials indicate that pilots like the Max and are confident in the changes from Boeing. Representatives of three unions said that crews were largely happy with the plane and added that, except at a select few airlines, training backlogs were the biggest challenge to getting more pilots in the cockpit.
The easiest way to find out your aircraft type is to check while booking. Airlines usually include the type operating a route while selling the ticket, so take a look at the 'more information. ' Similarly, you'll see the plane you're flying in your app or manage booking after the reservation as well.
We are fully confident in the safety of the 737 MAX, in the updates, and in the work technicians performed while these planes were on the ground: Updating the plane with the latest FAA-approved flight deck software.
Because of the sheer intensity of the scrutiny the aircraft faced, the Boeing 737 MAX could be considered one of the safest in the world. In fact, among the dozens of models of commercial airliners around the world, it is likely the safest due to the amount of regulation testing that took place.
In MAX, the latest construction solutions have been combined with technology proven in Dreamliner aircraft. New engines are quieter and more efficient, giving MAX longer range and lower environmental impact. MAX has better aerodynamics than its predecessors.
The crash rate (crashes per million flight miles) of the 737 Max is 44 times higher than that of the 737-600/700/800/900 series.