The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton Factory in Washington (state), Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the Boeing 707, 7 ...
, a
narrow-body airliner
A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than in width.
In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with mult ...
manufactured by
Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of American company
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...
. It succeeds the
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...
(NG) and competes with the
Airbus A320neo family
The Airbus A320neo family is a development of the A320 family of narrow-body airliners produced by Airbus.
The A320neo family (''neo'' for "new engine option") is based on the previous A319, A320 and A321 ( enhanced variant), which was then ren ...
.
The new series was announced on August 30, 2011. It took its maiden flight on January 29, 2016 and was certified by the United States
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
(FAA) in March 2017. The first delivery was a MAX 8 in May 2017 to
Malindo Air
Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air) is a Malaysian full service carrier, an associate carrier of Indonesian Lion Air Group, with headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The original name Malindo signifies a cooperative ...
, with which it commenced service on May 22, 2017.
The 737 MAX is based on earlier 737 designs, with more efficient
CFM International LEAP
The CFM International LEAP ("Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion") is a high-bypass turbofan engine produced by CFM International, a 50–50 joint venture between American GE Aviation and French Safran Aircraft Engines (formerly Snecma). It is the ...
-1B engines, aerodynamic changes, including distinctive split-tip
winglet
Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...
s, and airframe modifications.
The 737 MAX series has been offered in four variants, offering 138 to 204 seats in typical two-class configuration, and a range of . The 737 MAX 7, MAX 8 (including the 200–seat MAX 200), and MAX 9 are intended to replace the 737-700, -800, and -900 respectively, and a further-stretched 737 MAX 10 is available. , the 737 MAX has 4,166 unfilled orders and 926 deliveries.
The 737 MAX suffered a recurring failure in the
Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) is a flight stabilizing feature developed by Boeing that became notorious for its role in two fatal accidents of the 737 MAX, which killed all 346 passengers and crew among both flight ...
(MCAS), causing two fatal crashes,
Lion Air Flight 610
Lion Air Flight 610 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang in Indonesia. On 29 October 2018, the Boeing 737 MAX operating the route crashed into th ...
and
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. On 10 March 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft ...
, in which 346 people died in total. It was subsequently
grounded worldwide from March 2019 to November 2020. The FAA garnered criticism for defending the aircraft and was the last major authority to ground it. Investigations faulted a Boeing cover-up of a defect and lapses in the FAA's
certification of the aircraft for flight. Boeing paid in penalties and compensation to
settle
Settle or SETTLE may refer to:
Places
* Settle, Kentucky, United States
* Settle, North Yorkshire, a town in England
** Settle Rural District, a historical administrative district
Music
* Settle (band), an indie rock band from Pennsylvania
* ''S ...
the DOJ's fraud conspiracy case against the company. Further investigations also revealed that the FAA and Boeing had colluded on recertification test flights, attempted to cover up important information and that the FAA had retaliated against whistleblowers.
The FAA cleared the return to service on November 18, 2020, subject to mandated design and training changes.
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
and
European authorities only followed in late January 2021, and
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
authorities in early December, as over 180 countries out of 195 had lifted the grounding. Over 450 MAX aircraft were awaiting delivery in November 2020; 335 remained by January 2022. Boeing estimated that the backlog would be largely cleared by the end of 2023, after its order book was reduced by almost 1000 aircraft due to cancellations from loss of trust in the aircraft.
Development
Background
In 2006, Boeing started considering the replacement of the 737 with a "clean-sheet" design that could follow the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...
. In June 2010, a decision on this replacement was postponed into 2011.
On December 1, 2010, Boeing's competitor,
Airbus
Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: ' ...
, launched the
Airbus A320neo family
The Airbus A320neo family is a development of the A320 family of narrow-body airliners produced by Airbus.
The A320neo family (''neo'' for "new engine option") is based on the previous A319, A320 and A321 ( enhanced variant), which was then ren ...
to improve
fuel burn and operating efficiency with new engines: the
CFM International
CFM International is a 50/50 Franco-American joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines (formerly known as Snecma). It was formed to build and support the CFM56 series of turbofan engines. The company is the world’s lead ...
LEAP and the
Pratt & Whitney PW1000G
The Pratt & Whitney PW1000G, also called the Geared Turbofan (GTF), is a high-bypass geared turbofan engine family produced by Pratt & Whitney.
After many demonstrators, the program was launched with the Mitsubishi MRJ's PW1200G in March 2008, ...
. In February 2011, Boeing's CEO
Jim McNerney maintained "We're going to do a new airplane." In March 2011, BCA President
James Albaugh
James F. Albaugh (born May 31, 1950) is the former executive vice president of The Boeing Company and chief executive officer of the Boeing Commercial Airplanes business unit. He served in these capacities for Boeing Commercial Airplanes from S ...
told participants of a trade meeting the company was not sure about a 737
re-engine
The aircraft design process is a loosely defined method used to balance many competing and demanding requirements to produce an aircraft that is strong, lightweight, economical and can carry an adequate payload while being sufficiently reliable to ...
, like Boeing CFO
James A. Bell stated at an investor conference the same month. The Airbus A320neo gathered 667 commitments at the June 2011
Paris Air Show
The Paris Air Show (french: Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace de Paris-Le Bourget, Salon du Bourget) is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France. Organized by the French ...
for a backlog of 1,029 units since its launch, setting an order record for a new commercial airliner.
On July 20, 2011,
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
announced an order for 460 narrowbody jets including 130
A320ceos (Current Engine Option), 130 A320neos, 100 737NG and intended to order 100
re-engine
The aircraft design process is a loosely defined method used to balance many competing and demanding requirements to produce an aircraft that is strong, lightweight, economical and can carry an adequate payload while being sufficiently reliable to ...
d 737s with CFM LEAPs, pending Boeing confirmation. The order broke Boeing's monopoly with the airline and forced Boeing into a re-engined 737. As this sale included a
Most-Favoured-Customer Clause, Airbus has to refund any difference to American Airlines if it sells to another airline at a lower price, so the European manufacturer was unable to offer it at a price which
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. deemed to be "competitive" leaving the airline with a Boeing-skewed fleet.
Program launch
![737MAX ILA 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/737MAX_ILA_2012.png)
On August 30, 2011, Boeing's board of directors approved the launch of the re-engined 737, expecting a 4% lower fuel burn than the Airbus A320neo.
Studies for additional drag reduction were performed during 2011, including revised tail cone, natural laminar flow nacelle, and hybrid laminar flow vertical stabilizer.
Boeing abandoned the development of a new design. Boeing expected the 737 MAX to meet or exceed the range of the Airbus A320neo. Firm configuration for the 737 MAX was scheduled for 2013.
In March 2010, the estimated cost to re-engine the 737, according to Mike Bair, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' vice president of business strategy and marketing, would be , including the CFM engine development. During Boeing's Q2 2011 earnings call, former CFO James Bell said the development cost for the airframe only would be 10–15% of the cost of a new program estimated at at the time.
Bernstein Research predicted in January 2012, that this cost would be twice that of the A320neo.
The MAX development cost could have been well over the internal target of , and closer to . Fuel consumption is reduced by 14% from the
737NG.
Southwest Airlines was signed up as the launch customer in 2011.
In November 2014, McNerney said the 737 would be replaced by a new airplane by 2030—probably using composite materials—that would be slightly bigger and have new engines, but would retain the 737's general configuration.
Production
![Boeing 737 MAX (23514088802)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Boeing_737_MAX_%2823514088802%29.jpg)
On August 13, 2015, the first 737 MAX fuselage completed assembly at
Spirit Aerosystems
Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc., based in Wichita, Kansas, is the world's largest first-tier aerostructures manufacturer. The company builds several important pieces of Boeing aircraft, including the fuselage of the 737, portions of the 787 fu ...
in
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...
, for a test aircraft that would eventually be delivered to launch customer Southwest Airlines. On December 8, 2015, the first 737 MAX—a MAX 8 named ''Spirit of Renton''—was rolled out at the
Boeing Renton Factory
The Boeing Renton Factory is the Boeing Company's manufacturing facility for narrow-body commercial airliners, and their military derivatives. Current production includes the Boeing 737 MAX passenger airliner and the Boeing P-8 Poseidon military ...
.
Because
GKN
GKN Ltd is a British multinational automotive and aerospace components business headquartered in Redditch, England. It is a long-running business known for many decades as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds. It can trace its origins back to 1759 an ...
could not produce the
titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resista ...
honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal prismatic wax cells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.
Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey. Honey bees consume about of honey ...
inner walls for the
thrust reverser
Thrust reversal, also called reverse thrust, is the temporary diversion of an aircraft engine's thrust for it to act against the forward travel of the aircraft, providing deceleration. Thrust reverser systems are featured on many jet aircraft ...
s quickly enough, Boeing switched to a composite part produced by Spirit to deliver 47 MAXs per month in 2017. Spirit supplies 69% of the 737
airframe, including the fuselage, thrust reverser, engine
pylons
Pylon may refer to:
Structures and boundaries
* Pylon (architecture), the gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple or Christian cathedral
* Pylon, a support tower structure for suspension bridges or highways
* Pylon, an orange mar ...
,
nacelle
A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...
s, and wing
leading edge
The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...
s.
A new spar-assembly line with
robotic
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrate ...
drilling machines was expected to increase throughput by 33%. The
Electroimpact automated panel assembly line sped up the wing lower-skin assembly by 35%.
Boeing planned to increase its 737 MAX monthly production rate from 42 planes in 2017, to 57 planes by 2019. The new spar-assembly line is designed by Electroimpact. Electroimpact has also installed fully automated riveting machines and tooling to fasten stringers to the wing skin.
The rate increase strained the production and by August 2018, over 40 unfinished jets were parked in Renton, awaiting parts or engine installation, as CFM engines and Spirit fuselages were delivered late. After parked airplanes peaked at 53 at the beginning of September, Boeing reduced this by nine the following month, as deliveries rose to 61 from 29 in July and 48 in August.
On September 23, 2015, Boeing announced a collaboration with
Comac
, type = State-owned limited company
, industry = Aviation
, founded =
, founder =
, location_city = Pudong, Shanghai
, location_country = China
, area_served = Worldwide
, products = Commercial airliners
, services =
, key_people ...
to build a completion and delivery facility for the 737, in
Zhoushan, China, the first outside the United States. This facility initially handles interior finishing only, but will subsequently be expanded to include paintwork. The first aircraft was delivered from the facility to Air China on December 15, 2018.
The largest part of the suppliers cost are the
aerostructures at (-% of the total), followed by the engines at (-%), systems and interiors at each (-%), then
avionics
Avionics (a blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fit ...
at (-%).
Flight testing and certification
The first flight took place on January 29, 2016, at
Renton Municipal Airport
Renton Municipal Airport is a public use airport located in Renton, a city in King County, Washington, United States. The airport was renamed Clayton Scott Field in 2005 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Clayton Scott. The airport's northern ...
,
nearly 49 years after the maiden flight of the original 737-100, on April 9, 1967.
The first MAX 8, 1A001, was used for aerodynamic trials: flutter testing, stability and control, and takeoff performance-data verification, before it was modified for an operator and delivered. 1A002 was used for performance and engine testing: climb and landing performance, crosswind, noise, cold weather, high altitude,
fuel burn and water-ingestion. Aircraft systems including autoland were tested with 1A003. 1A004, with an airliner layout, flew function-and-reliability certification for 300 hours with a light flight-test instrumentation.
The 737 MAX gained FAA certification on March 8, 2017,
and in the same month was approved by EASA on March 27, 2017. After completing 2,000 test flight hours and 180-minute
ETOPS
ETOPS () is an acronym for ''Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards''—a special part of flight rules for one-engine-inoperative flight conditions. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) coined the acronym for ...
testing requiring 3,000 simulated flight cycles in April 2017, CFM International notified Boeing of a possible manufacturing quality issue with low pressure
turbine
A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating ...
(LPT) discs in LEAP-1B engines. Boeing suspended 737 MAX flights on May 4,
and resumed flights on May 12.
During the certification process, the FAA delegated many evaluations to Boeing, allowing the manufacturer to review their own product.
It was widely reported that Boeing pushed to expedite approval of the 737 MAX to compete with the Airbus A320neo, which hit the market nine months ahead of Boeing's model.
Entry into service
![9M-LRD (37495597164)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/9M-LRD_%2837495597164%29.jpg)
The first delivery was a MAX 8, handed over to
Malindo Air
Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air) is a Malaysian full service carrier, an associate carrier of Indonesian Lion Air Group, with headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The original name Malindo signifies a cooperative ...
(a subsidiary of
Lion Air
PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is an Indonesian low-cost airline. Based in Jakarta, Lion Air is the country's largest privately run airline, the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia (after AirAsia) and the large ...
) on May 16, 2017; it entered service on May 22.
Norwegian Air International
Norwegian Air International was an Irish airline and fully integrated subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle, using its corporate identity. It operated flights to destinations in Europe and the Middle East from various European bases, and was head ...
was the second airline to put a 737 MAX into service, when it performed its first
transatlantic flight
A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East to North America, Central America, or South America, or ''vice versa''. Such flights have been made by fixed-wing air ...
with a MAX 8 named ''
Sir Freddie Laker'' on July 15, 2017, between
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is an airport located in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2019, handling over 14.7 million passengers. It was also the sixth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom by ...
in Scotland and
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England.
The airport is about hal ...
in the U.S. state of Connecticut.
Boeing aimed for 737 MAX to match the 99.7% dispatch reliability of the 737 Next Generation (NG).
Southwest Airlines, the launch customer, took delivery of its first on August 29, 2017. Boeing planned to deliver at least to aircraft in 2017, 10–15% of the more than five hundred 737s to be delivered in the year.
Grounding and recertification
![Boeing 737 MAX grounded aircraft near Boeing Field, April 2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Boeing_737_MAX_grounded_aircraft_near_Boeing_Field%2C_April_2019.jpg)
In 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded worldwide after a malfunctioning flight control system caused two new aircraft to crash in Indonesia (
Lion Air Flight 610
Lion Air Flight 610 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang in Indonesia. On 29 October 2018, the Boeing 737 MAX operating the route crashed into th ...
on October 29, 2018) and Ethiopia (
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. On 10 March 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft ...
on March 10, 2019), killing all 346 people on board both flights.
China became the first air authority to ground the aircraft on March 11, 2019, setting a worldwide precedent as Singapore, India, Turkey, South Korea, the European Union, Australia and Malaysia followed the next day. The United States
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
was one of the last to ground the aircraft, defending against groundings by issuing a Continued Airworthiness Notice to operators on March 11, garnering widespread controversy. Investigations faulted a Boeing
cover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own misdeeds) from relational co ...
of a defect and lapses in the FAA's
certification of the aircraft for flight. After being charged with
fraud, Boeing
settled
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settle ...
to pay over in penalties and compensation. Further investigations also revealed that the United States
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
and Boeing had colluded on recertification test flights, attempted to cover up important information and that the FAA had retaliated against whistleblowers.
In the twenty months during the grounding, Boeing redesigned the computer architecture that supported the
Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) is a flight stabilizing feature developed by Boeing that became notorious for its role in two fatal accidents of the 737 MAX, which killed all 346 passengers and crew among both flight ...
(MCAS) while investigations faulted aircraft design and
certification lapses. Flawed information from a single external sensor fed into the system caused it to repeatedly push the planes' noses down as pilots struggled to keep them in the air before both crashes.
Boeing faces legal and
financial consequences, as no
deliveries of the MAX could be made while the aircraft was grounded, and airlines canceled more orders than Boeing produced during this period. Boeing found
foreign object debris in the fuel tanks of 35 of 50 grounded 737 MAX aircraft that were inspected, and had to check the remainder of the 400 undelivered planes. Boeing had similar problems with 787s produced in South Carolina. The FAA curtailed Boeing's
delegated authority and invited global aviation stakeholders to comment on pending changes to the aircraft and to pilot training. The FAA lifted its grounding order in 2020;
all aircraft must be repaired to comply with various
airworthiness directive
An Airworthiness Directive (commonly abbreviated as AD) is a notification to owners and operators of certified aircraft that a known safety deficiency with a particular model of aircraft, engine, avionics or other system exists and must be correct ...
s.
After being charged with
fraud in connection of both crashes of the 737 MAX, Boeing
settled
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settle ...
by paying over $2.5 billion: a
criminal monetary penalty of $243.6 million (10%), $1.77 billion in
damages
At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...
to airline customers (70%), and $500 million to a crash-victim beneficiaries fund (20%).
In April 2022, families of U.S. crash victims began petitioning a U.S. federal judge in Texas to scrap the settlement and reopen the criminal case, arguing that the
U.S. Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
(USDOJ) violated the
Crime Victims' Rights Act in settling without consulting with the families, and that the USDOJ should not have agreed to shield senior Boeing executives from prosecution. USDOJ prosecutors assert that the settlement is lawful because it cannot be proven that a crime was committed against the crash victims.
Production slowdown and suspension
From mid-April 2019, Boeing announced that it was temporarily cutting production of the 737 aircraft from 52 per month to 42 amid the 737 MAX groundings.
Production of the LEAP-1B engine continued at an unchanged rate, enabling CFM to catch up its backlog within a few weeks.
As the 737 MAX recertification moved into 2020, Boeing suspended production from January to conserve cash and prioritize stored aircraft delivery.
The 737 MAX program was the company's largest source of profit. Around 80% of the 737 production costs involve payments to parts suppliers, which may be as low as per plane.
After the announcement, Moody's cut Boeing's
debt ratings in December, citing the rising costs due to the grounding and the production halt including financial support to suppliers and compensation to airlines and lessors which could lower the program's margins and cash generation for years.
The
rating agency also warned that the production halt would have wide and harmful impact to the whole aerospace and defense supply chain and the ramp-up would be slower than previously anticipated.
CFM International
CFM International is a 50/50 Franco-American joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines (formerly known as Snecma). It was formed to build and support the CFM56 series of turbofan engines. The company is the world’s lead ...
reduced production of the LEAP-1B for the 737 MAX, in favor of the LEAP-1A for the Airbus A320neo, but was prepared to meet demand for both aircraft.
Boeing did not publicly say how long the suspension would last. The last pre-suspension fuselages entered final assembly in early January 2020. Boeing was reported to internally expect production to be halted for at least 60 days.
Industry observers began to question if Boeing's projection of record production rate of 57 per month would ever be reached. In early April, the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
led Boeing to shut down its other airliner production lines and further delayed recertification of the MAX.
Recertification and return to service
![737 max gol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/737_max_gol.png)
In early January 2020, an issue was discovered in the MAX software update, which impacted its recertification effort.
As of mid-January, Boeing expected the MAX to return to service by mid-2020.
In late April, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Boeing then hoped to win regulatory approval by August 2020. Between June 29 and July 1, the FAA and Boeing conducted a series of recertification test flights.
Transport Canada and EASA each concluded their own independent recertification flights in late August and early September. On November 18, the FAA announced that the MAX had been cleared to return to service. Before individual aircraft could resume service, repairs were required as set out in an
airworthiness directive
An Airworthiness Directive (commonly abbreviated as AD) is a notification to owners and operators of certified aircraft that a known safety deficiency with a particular model of aircraft, engine, avionics or other system exists and must be correct ...
from the FAA. Airline training programs also required approval.
On December 3, American Airlines made a demonstration flight for journalists to explain the FAA-required modifications, to regain public trust. The first airline to resume regular passenger service was Brazilian low-cost
Gol on December 9. The first in the United States was American Airlines on December 29.
Transport Canada and EASA both cleared the MAX in late January 2021, subject to additional requirements.
Other regulators worldwide progressively ungrounded the aircraft, including those in the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Australia,
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
, and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The Indian
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rescinded its ban on MAX airplanes in late August on the condition that they meet the requirements set by the FAA and EASA. China's civil aviation regulator (CAAC) cleared the 94 jets stored by 11 carriers in China to fly again in early December. Deliveries of approximately planes stored by Boeing resumed in early 2022, with over 180 countries out of 195 having lifted the grounding.
However, EASA forbade airlines from performing
RNP AR approaches with the MAX.
Production ramp-up and recovery
In late January 2020, production was expected to restart in April and take a year and a half to clear the inventory of 400 airplanes, ramping up slowly and building over time: Boeing might have delivered 180 stored jets by year-end and produce an equal number. Boeing did not disclose any possible effect on deliveries caused by the FAA's withdrawal of Boeing's delegated authority to
certify the airworthiness of each aircraft. MAX supplier Spirit AeroSystems said it does not expect to return production rate to 52 per month until late 2022. On May 27, Boeing resumed 737 MAX production at a low production rate, with the rate planned to increase towards 31 per month in 2021.
On August 19, Boeing announced that it had received new orders for the 737 MAX for the first time in 2020. Per a statement from the company, Poland's
Enter Air
Enter Air Sp. z o.o. is a Polish charter airline with its head office in Warsaw, Poland, and main base at Warsaw Chopin Airport and Katowice Airport. It operates holiday and charter flights out of its hubs in Poznań, Warsaw and Wrocław.
His ...
SA entered into an agreement to buy up to four 737s. On October 28, Boeing indicated that it expected to deliver about half of the 450 stockpiled aircraft in 2021, and the majority of the remainder in 2022, noting that some of these aircraft will need to be re-marketed and potentially reconfigured. The delivery rate will also condition the production rate for new aircraft, to avoid compounding the problem.
In November, Boeing saw more than 1,000 order cancelations since the grounding in March 2019.
[ Some of these already-built aircraft have seen their order canceled and Boeing is working to find new customers to take delivery.
In late January 2022, Boeing's Chief Financial Officer said the 737 program was producing at a rate of 27 aircraft a month and was on track to ramp up the production.] On March 4, Boeing reportedly had preliminary plans to ramp up production of the 737 MAX aircraft to about 47 a month by the end of 2023 as the company looked to extend its recovery from successive crises. On July 12, the company said it had met its goal of increasing 737 production to 31 per month when it reported its June order and delivery tally.
In September, however, the company noted that it was regularly having to pause production due to component shortages and other supply chain problems.
Certification of the MAX 7 and MAX 10
Following the recertification of the MAX 8 and MAX 9, Boeing resumed work to certify the MAX 7 and MAX 10.
In March 2022, there were rumors that Boeing would request an exemption from the U.S. Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act of 2020, a safety reform law passed in response to the MAX crashes. The act requires airliners to be fitted with an engine-indicating and crew-alerting system (EICAS) if type certificate
A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...
d after December 31, 2022. Adding this feature would make the MAX 10 different from other MAX variants, necessitating additional training for pilots.
In November 2022, Boeing announced expected delays to the certification of the MAX 7 and MAX 10, now expected in early 2023 and early 2024 respectively. In December, two proposals to exempt the MAX 7 and MAX 10 from the new requirements were considered for inclusion in a U.S. defense spending bill—one a simple two-year extension to the deadline, the second an exemption for aircraft whose certification applications were submitted before the law was enacted, combined with some equipment changes—but neither proposal was included in the final spending bill. In December 2022, the U.S. Congress agreed on a bill allowing Boeing to certify the MAX 7 and MAX 10 without EICAS, but it must install a third angle-of-attack sensor in all 737 MAX types as previously demanded by European and Canadian regulators. The company also must install a switch to disable the stick shaker, which distracted pilots during the MAX crashes. Boeing would have to retrofit these improvements to all 737 MAXs already delivered in Canada, Europe, and the U.S. within three years of MAX 10 certification.
Replacement airliner
In November 2014, Boeing talked about developing a clean sheet aircraft to replace the 737. The conceived aircraft was to have a fuselage similar to the 737 though slightly larger, and would make use of the advanced composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
technology developed for the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing also considered a parallel development along with the 757
757 may refer to:
* Boeing 757: a narrow-body airliner
* AD 757: a year
* 757 BC: a year
* 757 (number): a number
* Area code 757
Image:Area code 757.png, The area colored red indicates the southeast corner of Virginia served by area code 757
po ...
replacement, similar to the development of the 757 and 767 in the 1970s.
Design
In mid-2011, one design objective was matching fuel burn of the 737 MAX to that of the Airbus A320neo's 15% fuel-burn advantage. The initial 737 MAX reduction was 10–12%; it was later enhanced to 14.5%. The fan was widened from to by raising the nose gear and placing the engine higher and forward. The split tip winglet added 1–1.5% fuel burn reduction and a re-lofted tail cone another 1%. Electronically controlling the bleed air
Bleed air is compressed air taken from the compressor stage of a gas turbine upstream of its fuel-burning sections. Automatic air supply and cabin pressure controller (ASCPCs) valves bleed air from high or low stage engine compressor sections. Lo ...
system improved efficiency. The new engine nacelle
A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...
included chevrons
Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to:
Science and technology
* Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines
* Chevron (anatomy), a bone
* '' Eulithis testata'', a moth
* Chevron (geology), a fold in rock l ...
, similar to those of the Boeing 787, which also helped to reduce engine noise.
Aerodynamic changes
The split tip wingtip device
Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...
is designed to reduce vortex drag, improving fuel efficiency and maximizing lift while staying in the same ICAO aerodrome reference code letter C gates as current Boeing 737s. It traces its design to the McDonnell Douglas MD-12
The McDonnell Douglas MD-12 was a large wide-body airliner concept planned by the McDonnell Douglas company in the 1990s. It was first conceived as a trijet larger than the MD-11, then stretched to a quadjet airliner. It was to be similar in ...
1990s twin-deck concept, proposed for similar gate restrictions before the merger with Boeing. A MAX 8 with 162 passengers on a flight is projected to have a 1.8% better fuel burn than a blended-winglet-equipped aircraft and 1% over at Mach 0.79. The new winglet has a total height of .
Aviation Partners
Aviation Partners Inc. (API) is a Seattle-based private corporation that specializes in performance-enhancing winglet systems. The corporation was founded in 1991 and is owned by The Washington Companies.
History
API was founded in 1991 by Joe Cl ...
offers a similar "Split-Tip Scimitar" winglet for previous 737NGs. It resembles a three-way hybrid of a blended winglet, wingtip fence, and raked wingtip
Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...
.
Other improvements include a re-contoured tail cone, revised auxiliary power unit
An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft and naval ships as well as some large land vehicles. Aircraft APUs generally produce 115& ...
inlet and exhaust, aft-body vortex generator
A vortex generator (VG) is an aerodynamic device, consisting of a small vane usually attached to a lifting surface (or airfoil, such as an aircraft wing) or a rotor blade of a wind turbine. s removal, and other small aerodynamic improvements.
The engines on the 737 MAX were also repositioned, resulting in a change to the aerodynamic characteristics of the airframe. Due to the aircraft's close proximity to the ground, the larger and more fuel efficient engines did not have enough clearance. As a result, the engines were mounted higher and further forward on the wings, changing the aerodynamic characteristics. The MCAS software based flight control law was implemented to account for the undesirable aerodynamic changes.
Structural and other changes
The taller nose-gear strut maintains the same ground clearance of previous 737 engine nacelles. New struts and nacelles for the heavier engines add bulk, the main landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
and supporting structure have been reinforced, and fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraf ...
skins are thicker in some places—thus adding to the MAX 8's empty aircraft weight. To preserve fuel and payload capacity, its maximum takeoff weight
The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot is allowed to attempt to take off, due to structural or other limits. The analogous ...
is heavier.
Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins was a multinational corporation headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing avionics and information technology systems and services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was formed when the Collins Radio Comp ...
was selected to supply four landscape liquid crystal displays (LCD), as used on the 787, to improve pilots' situation awareness and efficiency. Boeing plans no major modifications for the 737 MAX flight deck, as it wants to maintain commonality with the 737 Next Generation family. Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh said in 2011, that adding more fly-by-wire control systems would be "very minimal". However, the 737 MAX extended spoilers are fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires, and flight control ...
controlled. Most of the systems are carried from the 737NG to allow for a short differences-training course to upgrade flight crews.
In addition to the Speed Trim System (STS), the automatic stabilizer control system has been enhanced to include MCAS. Compared to STS, MCAS has greater authority and cannot be disengaged with the aft and forward column cutout switches. The center console stabilizer-trim cutout switches have been re-wired. Unlike previous versions of the 737, the automatic stabilizer trim control functions cannot be turned off while retaining electric trim switches functionality.
MCAS was deemed necessary by Boeing to meet its internal objective of minimizing training requirements for pilots already qualified on the 737NG. MCAS was to automatically mitigate the pitch-up tendency of the new flight geometry due to the engines being located further forward and higher than on previous 737 models. During a reassessment of the aircraft in February 2020, both FAA and EASA determined that the stability and stall characteristics of the plane would have been acceptable with or without MCAS.
As a production standard, the 737 MAX features the Boeing Sky Interior with overhead bins and LED lighting based on the Boeing 787's interior.
Engines
In 2011, the LEAP-1B was initially 10–12% more efficient than the previous CFM56
The CFM International CFM56 (U.S. military designation F108) series is a Franco-American family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by CFM International (CFMI), with a thrust range of . CFMI is a 50–50 joint-owned company of Safran ...
-7B of the 737NG. The 18-blade, woven carbon-fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
fan enables a 9:1 bypass ratio
The bypass ratio (BPR) of a turbofan engine is the ratio between the mass flow rate of the bypass stream to the mass flow rate entering the core. A 10:1 bypass ratio, for example, means that 10 kg of air passes through the bypass duct for ev ...
(up from 5.1:1 with the previous 24-blade titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resista ...
fan) for a 40% smaller noise footprint. The CFM56 bypass ranges from 5.1:1 to 5.5:1. The two- spool design has a low-pressure section comprising the fan and three booster stages driven by five axial turbine
An axial turbine is a turbine in which the flow of the working fluid is parallel to the shaft, as opposed to radial turbines, where the fluid runs around a shaft, as in a watermill. An axial turbine has a similar construction as an axial compressor ...
stages and a high-pressure section with a 10-stage axial compressor driven by a two-stage turbine. The 41:1 overall pressure ratio
In aeronautical engineering, overall pressure ratio, or overall compression ratio, is the ratio of the stagnation pressure as measured at the front and rear of the compressor of a gas turbine engine. The terms ''compression ratio'' and ''pressure ...
increased from 28:1, and advanced hot-section materials enabling higher operating temperatures permit a 15% reduction in thrust-specific fuel consumption
Thrust-specific fuel consumption (TSFC) is the fuel efficiency of an engine design with respect to thrust output. TSFC may also be thought of as fuel consumption (grams/second) per unit of thrust (newtons, or N), hence ''thrust-specific''. This fig ...
(TSFC), along with 20% lower carbon emissions, 50% lower nitrogen-oxide emissions, though each engine weighs more at .
In August 2011, Boeing had to choose between or fan diameters, necessitating landing gear changes to maintain a ground clearance beneath the new engines; Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive officer Jim Albaugh stated "with a bigger fan you get more efficiency because of the bypass ratio ut alsomore weight and more drag", with more airframe changes.
In November 2011, Boeing selected the larger fan diameter, necessitating a longer nose landing gear. In May 2012, Boeing further enlarged the fan to , paired with a smaller engine core within minor design changes before the mid-2013 final configuration.
The nacelle features chevrons for noise reduction like the 787. A new bleed air digital regulator will improve its reliability. The new nacelles being larger and more forward possess aerodynamic properties which act to further increase the pitch rate. The larger engine is cantilevered ahead of and slightly above the wing, and the laminar flow engine nacelle lipskin is a GKN Aerospace one-piece, spun-formed aluminum sheet inspired by the 787.
Operational history
After one year of service, 130 MAXs had been delivered to 28 customers, logging over 41,000flights in 118,000hours and flying over 6.5million passengers. Flydubai
Flydubai ( ar, فلاي دبي), legally Dubai Aviation Corporation ( ar, مؤسسة دبي للطيران), is an Emirati government-owned low-cost airline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with its head office and flight operations in Terminal 2 ...
observed 15% more efficiency than the NG, more than the 14% promised, and dependability
In systems engineering, dependability is a measure of a system's availability, reliability, maintainability, and in some cases, other characteristics such as durability, safety and security. In real-time computing, dependability is the ability to ...
reached 99.4%. Long routes include 24 over , including a daily Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas, formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and the country flag carrier. The airline was created in 1949 from the merger of four companies and started operations in . A consortium led by Iberia ...
service from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
to Punta Cana
Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It is part of the Veron–Punta Cana municipal district, in the Higüey municipality of La Altagracia Province. According to the 2010 census, this district had a ...
over .
In 2019, Moody's
Moody's Investors Service, often referred to as Moody's, is the bond credit rating business of Moody's Corporation, representing the company's traditional line of business and its historical name. Moody's Investors Service provides internationa ...
had estimated Boeing's operating margin In business, operating margin—also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin, EBIT margin and return on sales (ROS)—is the ratio of operating income ("operating profit" in the UK) to net sales, usually expressed in percent.
...
to be for each 737 MAX 8 at its list price of $121.6 million, although the list price is usually discounted 50–55% in practice. This high margin was made possible by the efficiencies of production volume and the amortization of development costs and capital investment over the decades of the program run. However, costs have since risen significantly and the margin reduced following the two crashes, the FAA grounding, and the severe disruption to production.
Boeing estimated it would cost an additional $6.3 billion to produce the remaining 737 MAX program, $4 billion for "future abnormal costs" as production restarted, plus an estimated $8.3 billion for concessions and compensation to customers. The rising costs also led Moody's to downgrade Boeing's credit rating
A credit rating is an evaluation of the credit risk of a prospective debtor (an individual, a business, company or a government), predicting their ability to pay back the debt, and an implicit forecast of the likelihood of the debtor defaulting.
...
.
Variants
The 737-700, -800 and -900ER, the most widespread versions of the previous 737NG, are succeeded by the 737 MAX 7, MAX 8 and MAX 9, respectively (FAA type certificate: ''737-7'', ''-8'', and ''-9''). 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 expected to begin in 2021, and the MAX 10 in 2023.
In February 2018, Boeing forecast that 60–65% of demand for the airliner would be for the 737 MAX 8 variant, 20–25% for the MAX 9 and MAX 10, and 10% for the MAX 7.
737 MAX 7
Originally based on the 737-700, Boeing announced the redesign of the MAX 7, derived from the MAX 8, at the July 2016 Farnborough Air Show, accommodating two more seat rows than the 737-700 for 138 seats, up by 12 seats. The redesign uses the 737-8 wing and landing gear; a pair of over-wing exits rather than the single-door configuration; a 46-inch longer aft fuselage and a 30-inch longer forward fuselage; structural re-gauging and strengthening; and systems and interior modifications to accommodate the longer length. It is to fly farther than the -700 with 18% lower fuel costs per seat. Boeing predicts the MAX 7 to carry 12 more passengers farther than A319neo with 7 percent lower operating costs per seat. In 2016, Boeing planned to improve its range from to after 2021.
Production on the first wing spar
SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...
for the 737-7 began in October 2017. Assembly of the first flight-test aircraft began on November 22, 2017 and was rolled out of the factory on February 5, 2018. The MAX 7 took off for its first flight on March 16, 2018, from the factory in Renton, Washington, and flew for three hours over Washington state. It reached and , performed a low approach, systems checks and an inflight engine restart, and landed at Boeing's flight test center in Moses Lake, Washington
Moses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,146 as of the 2020 census. Moses Lake is the largest city in Grant County. The city anchors the Moses Lake Micropolitan area, which includes all of Grant C ...
.
Entry into service with launch operator Southwest Airlines was originally expected in January 2019. WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, near Calgary International Airport. It is the second-largest Canadian airline, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 ...
also converted its order for MAX 7s, originally due for delivery in 2019, into MAX 8s, not expecting to take any MAX 7s until at least 2021. In March 2021 Southwest placed an order for 100 MAX 7s, and exercised options for another 34 in 2021, bringing their total orders to 234; WestJet had 22. in July 2022, Southwest announced that it did not expect to receive any MAX 7 aircraft until 2023 due to the ongoing certification delays and that it would instead take delivery of MAX 8 aircraft in the interim. That same November, Boeing announced that it expects MAX 7 certification in early 2023.[
]
737 MAX 8
The first variant developed in the 737 MAX series, the MAX 8 replaces the 737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...
with a longer fuselage than the MAX 7. In 2016, Boeing planned to improve its range from to after 2021. On July 23, 2013, Boeing completed the firm configuration for the 737 MAX 8. The MAX 8 has a lower empty weight and higher maximum takeoff weight than the A320neo. During a test flight conducted for ''Aviation Week'', while cruising at a true airspeed of and a weight of , at a lower than optimal altitude (FL350 vs. the preferred FL390) and with an "unusually far forward" center of gravity
In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force ma ...
, the test aircraft consumed of fuel per hour.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 completed its first flight test in La Paz, Bolivia. The altitude at El Alto International Airport
El Alto International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional El Alto) is an international airport serving La Paz, Bolivia. It is located in the city of El Alto, west of La Paz. At an elevation of , it is the highest international ...
tested the MAX's capability to take off and land at high altitudes. Its first commercial flight was operated by Malindo Air
Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air) is a Malaysian full service carrier, an associate carrier of Indonesian Lion Air Group, with headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The original name Malindo signifies a cooperative ...
on May 22, 2017, between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore as Flight OD803. In early 2017, a new -8 was valued at $52.85million, rising to below $54.5million by mid2018.
737 MAX 200
In September 2014, Boeing launched a high-density version of the 737 MAX 8, the 737 MAX 200, named for seating for up to 200 passengers in a single-class high-density configuration with slimline seats; an extra pair of exit doors is required because of the higher passenger capacity. Boeing states that this version would be 20% more cost-efficient per seat than current 737 models, and would be the most efficient narrow-body on the market when delivered, including 5% lower operating costs than the 737 MAX 8. Three of eight galley trolleys are removed to accommodate more passenger space. An order with Ryanair for 100 aircraft was finalized in December 2014.
In mid-November 2018, the first of then 135 ordered by Ryanair rolled out, in a 197-seat configuration. It was first flown from Renton on January 13, 2019, and was due to enter service in April 2019, with another four MAX 200s expected later in 2019, though certification and deliveries were deferred while the MAX was grounded. In November 2019, Ryanair informed its pilots that, due to an unspecified design issue with the additional over-wing exit doors, it did not expect to receive any MAX 200s until late April or early May 2020. The high-density variant was certified by the FAA on March 31, 2021. Ryanair took delivery of its first 8–200 in June 2021.
Besides launch customer Ryanair, other customers include International Airlines Group
International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A., trading as International Airlines Group and usually shortened to IAG, is an Anglo-Spanish multinational airline holding company with its registered office in Madrid, Spain, and its global headq ...
and low-cost airlines Akasa Air of India, Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America.
Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
of the United States, Arajet of the Dominican Republic and Vietnam's VietJet.
Proposed 737-8ERX
Airlines have been shown a 737-8ERX concept based on the 737 MAX 8 with a higher maximum take-off weight using wings, landing gear, and central section from the MAX 9 to provide a longer range of with seating for 150, closer to the Airbus A321LR.
737 MAX 9
The 737 MAX 9 will replace the 737-900 and has a longer fuselage than the MAX 8. In 2016, Boeing planned to improve its range from to after 2021. Lion Air was the launch customer with an order for 201 in February 2012. It made its roll-out on March 7, 2017, and first flight on April 13, 2017; it took off from Renton Municipal Airport and landed at Boeing Field
Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport , is a public airport owned and operated by King County, five miles south of downtown Seattle, Washington. The airport is sometimes referred to as KCIA (King County International Airp ...
after a 2 hr 42 min flight. It was presented at the 2017 Paris Air Show.
Boeing 737-9 flight tests were scheduled to run through 2017, with 30% of the -8 tests repeated; aircraft 1D001 was used for auto-land, avionics, flutter, and mostly stability-and-control trials, while 1D002 was used for environment control system testing. It was certified by February 2018. Asian low-cost carrier Lion Air Group took delivery of the first on March 21, 2018, before entering service with Thai Lion Air
Thai Lion Mentari Co. Ltd, trading as Thai Lion Air ( th, ไทยไลอ้อนแอร์), is a Thai low-cost airline, operating with Thai partners as an associate company of Lion Air of Indonesia. The carrier operates from Bangkok's Do ...
. As the competing A321neo
The Airbus A320neo family is a development of the A320 family of narrow-body airliners produced by Airbus.
The A320neo family (''neo'' for "new engine option") is based on the previous A319, A320 and A321 ( enhanced variant), which was then r ...
attracts more orders, the sale value of a 737-9 is the same as a 2018 737-8 at $53million.
737 MAX 10
To compete with the Airbus A321neo
The Airbus A320neo family is a development of the A320 family of narrow-body airliners produced by Airbus.
The A320neo family (''neo'' for "new engine option") is based on the previous A319, A320 and A321 ( enhanced variant), which was then ren ...
, loyal customers, such as Korean Air
Korean Air Co., Ltd. (), operating as Korean Air (Korean Air Lines before 1984), is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights.
The present-day Korean Air ...
and United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. , pressed Boeing to develop a variant larger than the MAX 9, of which Boeing revealed studies in early 2016. As the Airbus A321neo had outsold the MAX 9 five-to-one, the proposed MAX 10 included a larger engine, stronger wings, and telescoping landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
in mid-2016. In September 2016, it was reported that the variant would be simpler and lower-risk with a modest stretch of for a length of , seating 12–18 more passengers for 192–198 in a dual-class layout or 226-232 for a single class, needing an uprated LEAP-1B that could be available by 2019, or 2020, and would likely require a landing-gear modification to move the rotation point slightly aft.
In October 2016, Boeing's board of directors granted authority to offer the stretched variant with two extra fuselage sections forward and aft with a range reduced from of the MAX 9. In early 2017, Boeing showed a stretch to , enabling seating for 230 in a single class or 189 in two-class capacity, compared to 193 in two-class seating for the A321neo. The modest stretch of the MAX 10 enables the aircraft to retain the existing wing, and the Leap 1B engine from the MAX 9 with a trailing-link main landing gear as the only major change. Boeing 737 MAX Vice President and General Manager Keith Leverkuhn said the design had to be frozen in 2018, for a 2020 introduction.
Boeing hopes that 737-900 operators and 737 MAX 9 customers like United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. , Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...
, Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the num ...
, Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled an ...
, Lion Air
PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is an Indonesian low-cost airline. Based in Jakarta, Lion Air is the country's largest privately run airline, the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia (after AirAsia) and the large ...
, and Chinese airlines will be interested in the new variant. Boeing predicts a 5% lower trip cost and seat cost compared to the A321neo. Air Lease Corporation
Air Lease Corporation (ALC) is an American aircraft leasing company founded in 2010 and headed by Steven F. Udvar-Házy. Air Lease purchases new commercial aircraft through direct orders from Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and ATR, and leases them to ...
wants it a year sooner; its CEO John Pleuger stated "It would have been better to get the first airplane in March 2019, but I don't think that's possible". AerCap
AerCap Holdings N.V. is an Irish aircraft leasing company based in Dublin. It became the largest aircraft leasing company in the world after acquiring International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) in 2014, then GECAS from General Electric in ...
CEO Aengus Kelly is cautious and said the -9 and -10 "will cannibalize each other".
The 737 MAX 10 was launched on June 19, 2017, with 240 orders and commitments from more than ten customers. United Airlines will be the largest 737 MAX 10 customer, converting 100 of their 161 orders for the MAX 9 into orders for the MAX 10. Boeing ended the 2017 Paris Air Show with 361 orders and commitments, including 214 conversions, from 16 customers, including 50 orders from Lion Air.
The variant configuration was firmed up by February 2018, and by mid-2018, the critical design review
In the United States military integrated acquisition lifecycle the Technical section has multiple acquisition "Technical Reviews". Technical reviews and audits assist the acquisition and the number and types are tailored to the acquisition. Over ...
was completed. , assembly was underway with a first flight planned for late 2019. The semi-levered landing gear design has a telescoping oleo-pneumatic strut with a down-swinging lever to permit taller gear. Driven by the existing retraction system, a shrink-link mechanical linkage mechanism at the top of the leg, inspired by carrier aircraft designs, allows the gear to be drawn in and shortened while being retracted into the existing wheel well. Entry into service is slated for July 2020.
On November 22, 2019, Boeing unveiled the first MAX 10 to employees in its Renton factory, Washington, scheduled for the first flight in 2020. At the time, 531 MAX 10s were on order, compared to 3,142 Airbus A321neos sold, capable of carrying 244 passengers or to fly up to in its heaviest A321XLR variant. The MAX 10 has similar capacity as the A321XLR, but shorter range and much poorer field performance, greatly hindering its potential to service smaller airports as compared to the A321XLR.
By early 2021, Boeing expected 737 MAX 10 deliveries to start in 2023. The variant made its maiden flight on June 18, 2021, initiating its flight test and certification program.
On June 29, 2021, United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. placed an order for another 150 of the Boeing 737 MAX 10. These MAX 10s will replace a large number of United's older Boeing 757-200s.
In September 2021, Ryanair failed to reach an agreement with Boeing over an order of MAX 10s, citing cost as a primary concern.
In November 2022, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stanley Deal told investors at a conference that the MAX 10 was expected to enter service in 2024.[
]
Boeing Business Jet
The BBJ MAX 8 and BBJ MAX 9 are proposed business jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pu ...
variants of the 737 MAX 8 and 9, with new CFM LEAP-1B engines and advanced winglets providing 13% better fuel burn than the Boeing Business Jet; the BBJ MAX 8 will have a range, and the BBJ MAX 9 a range. The BBJ MAX 7 was unveiled in October 2016, with a range and 10% lower operating costs than the original BBJ, while being larger. The BBJ MAX 8 first flew on April 16, 2018, before delivery later the same year, and will have a range of with an auxiliary fuel tank.
Operators
, the five largest operators of the Boeing 737 MAX were Southwest Airlines (69), Ryanair (55), American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
(42), Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled an ...
(32), and China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province and is the largest airline in China. Established on 1 July 1988 following the restructuring of the CAAC Airlines that acqu ...
(24).
Orders and deliveries
American Airlines was the first disclosed customer. By November 17, 2011, there were 700 commitments from nine customers, including Lion Air and SMBC Aviation Capital
SMBC Aviation Capital, formerly RBS Aviation Capital, is one of the world's largest aircraft leasing companies. It is owned by a consortium of leading Japanese institutions: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Sumitomo Mitsui Finance a ...
. By December 2011, the 737 MAX had 948 commitments and firm orders from thirteen customers. On September 8, 2014, Ryanair agreed to 100 firm orders with 100 options. In January 2017, aircraft leasing company GECAS ordered 75. By January 2019 the 737 MAX had 5,011 firm orders from 78 identified customers, with the top three being Southwest Airlines with 280, flydubai with 251, and Lion Air with 251. The first 737 MAX 8 was delivered to Malindo Air
Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air) is a Malaysian full service carrier, an associate carrier of Indonesian Lion Air Group, with headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The original name Malindo signifies a cooperative ...
on May 16, 2017.
Following the groundings in March 2019, Boeing suspended all deliveries of 737 MAX aircraft, reduced production from 52 to 42 aircraft per month, and on December 16, 2019, announced that production would be suspended from January 2020 to conserve cash. At the time of the grounding, the 737 MAX had 4,636 unfilled orders valued at an estimated $600billion. Boeing produced over 450 MAX aircraft awaiting delivery, about half of which are expected to be delivered in 2021, and the majority of the remainder in 2022. By November 30, 2020, at the time of the ungrounding, the unfilled orders stood at 4,039 aircraft. In November 2021, during the Dubai Airshow
The Dubai Airshow ( ar, معرض دبي للطيران) is a biennial air show held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in ...
, Boeing received 72 firm orders from a new 737 MAX customer, India based Akasa Air, to be fulfilled over a 4-year period with first delivery in June 2022. In late January 2022 Boeing was working to clear the remaining inventory of 335 MAX aircraft and estimated most of them would be delivered by the end of 2023.
, the 737 MAX has 4,166 unfilled orders and 926 deliveries.
Accidents and incidents
Between March 2017 and March 2019, the global fleet of 387 aircraft operated 500,000 flights and experienced two fatal crashes, having an accident rate of four accidents per million flights, whereas the previous Boeing 737 generations averaged 0.2 accidents per one million flights.
Lion Air Flight 610
On October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610
Lion Air Flight 610 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang in Indonesia. On 29 October 2018, the Boeing 737 MAX operating the route crashed into th ...
, a 737 MAX 8, plunged into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Soekarno–Hatta) , abbreviated SHIA or Soetta, formerly legally called Jakarta Cengkareng Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Jakarta Cengkareng) (hence the IATA designator "CGK" ...
, Jakarta, Indonesia. The flight was a scheduled domestic flight to Depati Amir Airport
Depati Amir Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Depati Amir) also known as Pangkal Pinang Airport, is an airport in Indonesia located in Pangkal Pinang on Bangka Island, part of Bangka Belitung Islands province. The airport has been managed by PT. Angk ...
, Pangkal Pinang
Pangkal Pinang is the capital and largest city of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province in Indonesia. It is located on Bangka Island's east coast, the city is divided into seven districts (''kecamatan'') and has 42 wards (''kelurahan'').
It c ...
, Indonesia. All 189 people on board died. This was the first fatal aviation crash and first hull loss of a 737 MAX. The aircraft had been delivered to Lion Air two months earlier. People familiar with the investigation reported that during a flight piloted by a different crew on the day before the crash, the same aircraft experienced a similar malfunction but an extra pilot sitting in the cockpit jumpseat correctly diagnosed the problem and told the crew how to disable the malfunctioning MCAS flight-control system. Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee
The National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC, id, Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi, KNKT; literally "Transportation Safety National Committee") is an Indonesian government agency charged with the investigation of air, land, rail, ...
released its final report into the crash on October 25, 2019, attributing the crash to the MCAS pushing the aircraft into a dive due to data from a faulty angle-of-attack sensor. Following the Lion Air crash, Boeing issued an operational manual guidance, advising airlines on how to address erroneous cockpit readings.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302
On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. On 10 March 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft ...
, a 737 MAX 8, crashed approximately six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
, Ethiopia, on a scheduled flight to Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
, Kenya, killing all 149 passengers and 8 crew members on board. The aircraft was four months old at the time. The cause of the crash was initially unclear, though the aircraft's vertical speed after takeoff was reported to be unstable. Evidence retrieved on the crash site suggests, that at the time of the crash, the aircraft was configured to dive, similar to Lion Air Flight 610. On April 4, Ethiopian transport minister Dagmawit Moges
Dagmawit Moges Bekele ( am, ዳግማዊት ሞገስ በቀለ; born 10 December 1983) is an Ethiopian politician serving as the current Minister of Transport and Communications of the Ethiopia since October 2018. She has served also as Deput ...
stated that the crew "performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft."
The similarity of the physical and flight data evidence from the accidents led to the global 737 MAX groundings beginning on the day of the second accident.
Specifications
See also
* Financial impact of the Boeing 737 MAX groundings
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{Boeing 7x7 timeline
Aircraft first flown in 2016
737 MAX
The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of American company Boeing. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) and competes with th ...
Low-wing aircraft
Twinjets
2010s United States airliners