The 737 MAX 8 entered service in May 2017, and the MAX 9 entered service in March 2018. Deliveries for MAX 7 and MAX 200 (a higher-density version of the MAX 8) were initially expected to begin in 2021, and the MAX 10 in 2023.
The Boeing 737 MAX series was introduced in December 2011 after receiving an order from Southwest Airlines. A Boeing 737-8 with the serial number 42554 and the registration N8701Q made the series' inaugural flight on January 29, 2016, from Renton Field in Washington state.
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.
Nearly 1,000 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are currently active across the skies.
Despite its shorter fuselage, it shares the same 35.92-meter-wide (117 feet and 10 inches) wingspan as its larger Boeing 737 MAX 8, 9, and 10 counterparts. The next largest variant of the Boeing 737 MAX series is the popular MAX 8, which clocks in at 39.47 meters (129 feet and 6 inches) long.
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 737 MAX 8 entered service in May 2017, and the MAX 9 entered service in March 2018. Deliveries for MAX 7 and MAX 200 (a higher-density version of the MAX 8) were initially expected to begin in 2021, and the MAX 10 in 2023.
Virgin Australia has announced four additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft will join its fleet with delivery starting in the second half of 2023, increasing capacity in line with the airline's fleet growth program and journey towards Net Zero.
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.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is a new plane that had its first flight in January 2016. Despite its short time on the market, the MAX 8 has been involved in two tragedies in fewer than five months: the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash on March 10, 2019, and the Lion Air Flight JT 610 crash on Oct. 29, 2018.
The Boeing 737 MAX is still flying worldwide—despite mounting evidence that the aircraft is unsafe. Investigation reports from the Indonesian and Ethiopian governments on the Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 indicate that both of those brand-new planes had preexisting defects that have yet to be resolved.
Boeing said it has discovered a manufacturing issue with some 737 Max aircraft, although it insisted the problem is not “an immediate safety of flight issue.” A supplier used a “non-standard manufacturing process” during the installation of two fittings in the rear fuselage, Boeing said in a statement to CNN.
Since then the aircraft has been referred to as both the 787 and the Dreamliner. The naming convention that Boeing now applies to its aircraft such as the 787, which comes in the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10, will also be applied to the 737 MAX.
NOLINOR AVIATION BOEING 737 FROM 1976. The oldest plane in service is from Nolinor Aviation, a charter airline in Canada, that operates a Boeing 737 that first went into use in 1976.
What's the difference between a 737 and a 737 MAX? The 737 MAX is the most technically advanced 737 that Boeing has ever produced. The 737 MAX has updated, fuel-efficient engines and a modern flight deck design. Its LEAP-1B engines provide much better fuel efficiency.
The 737 MAX 8 reduces fuel use and CO2 emissions by an additional 14 percent over today's most fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes – and 20 percent better than the original Next-Generation 737s when they first entered service.
Comparing the 737 MAX 8 directly to the 737-800 on numbers alone, it quickly becomes evident that the newer MAX series has a longer range and the ability to carry an extra 18 fare-paying customers in a two-class setup. The MAX 200's high-density layout also allows it to hold more passengers than one-class 737-800s.
FAA clears Boeing 737 Max for safe return to service
In January 2023, it was reported that the Boeing 737 Max had passed its safety review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA had been conducting a review of the aircraft's safety since its reintroduction in 2020.
Virgin Australia's Boeing 737 MAX delivery schedule
In addiiton to Cairns-Tokyo, Virgin is pencilling in a growing series of domestic and short-range international routes for its MAX fleet, ranging from the Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane triangle and east-west services to Perth to overseas hops to Bali and Fiji.
Qantas has 75 174-seat 737-800s and 20 100-125 seat 717s and the shortlisted replacement aircraft were the Boeing 737 MAX, Airbus A320neo, at the higher capacity end, and the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-195 E2 with smaller capacity.
Qantas operates a fleet of Airbus A330, Airbus A380, Boeing 737 and Boeing 787 making a total of 124 aircraft.
If you want to be the first to get a drink on your Southwest flight, you'll want to choose your seat wisely. On a 737-700, choose rows 1, 9, or 17. On a 737-800 or 737 MAX 8, you'll want to choose rows 1, 9, 16, or 23 for the fastest drink service.
In the middle, at the back
Nonetheless, a TIME investigation that looked at 35 years of aircraft accident data found the middle rear seats of an aircraft had the lowest fatality rate: 28%, compared with 44% for the middle aisle seats. This logically makes sense too.
Both the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Boeing 737 MAX 9 have a maximum cruise speed of 839 km/h (521 mph) and a flight range up to 6,510 km (4,045 mi).