The first aircraft in the Boeing 737 MAX series received FAA certification today, clearing the way for summer deliveries to reported launch customer Southwest Airlines. The 737 MAX 8 will, depending on seating configuration, carry 162 to 200 passengers on routes up to about 3,000 nautical miles. That’s comparable with the 737-800, but Boeing says customers can expect to save 14% in fuel consumption mostly due to redesigned winglets and incorporation of the CFM International LEAP-1B engines, which have been in development since 2008.
On Tuesday, Boeing also rolled out its first 737 MAX 9, the larger sibling in the growing MAX family with a capacity of 220 passengers and a range of 3,500 nautical miles. Ground testing of the new MAX 9 will begin in the coming weeks followed by an FAA flight test certification program. Boeing expects the MAX 9 to enter service in 2018.
Boeing already has orders for more than 3,600 737 MAX aircraft from 83 different customers, ensuring production of these jets well into the next decade.
