European regulators intend to carry out their own test flights on the grounded 737 MAX.
737 deliveries will be challenged into 2023 due to supply chain issues

29 января 2016г. в Рентоне (шт. Вашингтон) взлетел новый среднемагистральный пассажирский самолет Boeing 737 MAX 8, оснащенный новейшими двигателями CFM International LEAP-1B, усовершенствованными законцовками крыла Advanced Technology и рядом новых бортовых систем. Ожидается, что Boeing 737 MAX 8 будет потреблять на 20% меньше топлива, чем первые модели Boeing 737 NG (Next Generation), а также иметь сниженные на 8% эксплуатационные расходы на одного пассажира по сравнению с Airbus A320neo. Первая поставка запланирована на третий квартал 2017 г. в американскую компанию Southwest Airlines
The first Boeing 737 MAX, N8701Q (c/n 42554), named Spirit of Renton, climbed to 25,000ft during its first flight, with its route taking it to the west of Seattle.

Boeing plans to submit software updates for the 737 MAX to regulators in September 2019.

Boeing is targeting the first 737 MAX delivery to Southwest Airlines for the third quarter of 2017.

The upwards-facing aerofoil on the AT Winglet vectors the inward, upward and slightly forward lift components of the airflow around the wing and the lower aerofoil generates a further vertical lift component that is vectored away from the fuselage and slightly forwards.

The larger fan size of the MAX 8’s CFM LEAP-1B engines relative to the CFM56-7BS on the 737NG is evident in this photo. The LEAP-1 B’s fan diameter is 69.4in (1,760mm).

There are now three aircraft, including N8703J pictured here on a flight in the United States, involved in testing the 737 MAX 8. High altitude trials at El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia were recently undertaken.

N8704Q, also known as Airplane 4, is used for function and reliability testing.
The 737 MAX is similar to the 737NG in many respects but also has some innovations including the LEAP-1B engines and AT Winglets.

The 737 MAX 8 is just over 129ft (39m) long, with a 117ft (36m) wingspan and a maximum take-off weight of 181,200 lb (82,191 kg).

Airplane 4 is carrying out what Boeing calls “right at first flight" test work, which involves turning the aircraft as a line operator would in normal daily operations.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 N8702LL (c/n 36989) is one of the four flight test MAX aircraft and is used to test performance. The other jets respectively test stability/control, systems/engines, and functionality/reliability.

Boeing is promising the 737 MAX 8 will burn 14% less fuel compared to a 737NG, with the LEAP-1B engines contributing 11% of the reduction.

Boeing's 737 MAX 8 pictured on its 2016 first flight. The company had delivered 376 at the time of the aircraft’s grounding.
Among the key differences in the 737 MAX are the CFM International LEAP-1B engines and the Advanced Technology Winglets, both visible in this photo as the aircraft departs Renton.

N8702L is used for performance testing. It is pictured departing El Alto International Airport in La Paz during the aircraft’s deployment there for high-altitude take-off tests.

Aircraft N8703J (1A003, c/n cn 42556) was the systems performance test 737 MAX 8, which tested all of the aircraft’s systems, including autoland.

The initial test flight, which started here at Renton Field and ended at nearby Boeing Field, lasted two hours and 47 minutes.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 N8702L (c/n 36989) undertaking water spray testing in Glasgow, Montana. Test pilots took the jet through the standing water to show engineers where the water hit the MAX as it passed through the trough and whether the water was ingested into the CFM International LEAP-1B engines. Community noise testing was also carried out at Glasgow. A Boeing spokesman told AIR International that tests simulating revenue service also continue. Certification is scheduled for the first quarter of 2017 and service entry in the first half of the year.

The 69.4in fan diameter on the LEAP-1B engines meant that Boeing had to extend the nose landing gear by 8in to ensure sufficient ground clearance.

The third Boeing 737 MAX 8 built, N8703J (c/n 42556), seen during its time as a test airframe. It is due to be delivered to Southwest Airlines once the type has been recertificated.

A Boeing 737 MAX pictured during testing. Airlines have cancelled the type from their schedules well into January 2020.

This jet, N8703J (airplane 3, c/n 42556), is one of four aircraft that has been used for flight and certification testing of the 737 MAX 8, pictured at Moses Lake, is used for propulsion and systems tests.
The Boeing 737 MAX has been grounded since March 2019 and isn't expected to return to service until late this year at the earliest, with some customers pulling the aircraft from schedules until 2020.

A rare shot of all four MAX 8 flight test aircraft together. These aircraft are increasingly focused on certification testing ahead of the planned first-half 2017 certification for the aircraft.
The Boeing 737 MAX test fleet photographed in 2016, before the type's service entry. Boeing continues to work on returning the aircraft to flight, but recent simulator sessions identified an additional potential risk Boeing has been ordered to fix.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8, pictured here on its roll-out in 2015, has been grounded since mid-March 2019.

Spirit of Renton’s colour scheme has the liveries of many of the 60 customers that have ordered the MAX.

The 737 MAX cockpit looks very similar to the 737NG, but new features include four 15.1 in LCD multifunction screens and new data collection and storage capabilities.
A focus for the investigations into the 737 MAX accidents is the aircraft's Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, a flight control law designed to enhance pitch stability.

The CFM LEAP-1B engines provide an 11% reduction in fuel use compared to the CFM56-7Bs, Boeing says.

The Advanced Technology Winglet is set to provide a 1.8% reduction in fuel burn compared to the Blended Winglets that feature on the 737NG.

Advanced Technology Winglets will save 1.8% more fuel than current-generation winglets.

Vinay Dube, CEO of Akasa Air, and Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO, after Akasa Air ordered 72 737 MAXs

The first 737 MAX 8, Spirit of Renton, following roll-out.

Boeing 737 MAX 7 N7201S is the first of two examples of the smallest-capacity 737 MAX variant, which will be used for flight testing before service entry.
At its peak, Boeing had received commitments for more than 5,000 737 MAXs. This total now stands at around 4,000

The 737 MAX 7 at the Everett factory, 2018
The MAX 7 is the smallest variant of the family and has capacity for 172 passengers in a single-class configuration

The 737 MAX is a fourth-generation Boeing 737, re-engined with CFM International LEAP-1B turbofans
The MAX concept began in 2006 when the US giant started studying 737 NG replacements
An Airworthiness Directive on the Boeing 737 MAX calls for several design changes to the aircraft.

The 737 Max 8 is helping open up new non-stop routes to secondary cities where demand is not sufficient to support widebody services

The first Boeing 737 MAX 7 photographed during its first flight on March 16, 2018.

A Boeing 737 MAX 9 photographed in 2017.
Boeing has resumed MAX deliveries, with two aircraft handed over to United Airlines on December 9, 2020

Boeing has pitched the 737 MAX 9 at operators who want extra capacity on high-density routes that need more seat rows than the MAX 8.

The 737 MAX family includes the MAX 7, 8, 9 and 10 models, alongside the MAX 200

The first Boeing 737 MAX 9 N7379E (c/n 42987) at Renton on the day of roll-out.

International Consolidated Airlines Group's (IAG) Letter of Intent for 200 737 MAX jets accounted for almost 70% of Boeing's commercial airliner sales at the 2019 Paris Air Show.

The first 737 MAX 9, N7379E (c/n 42987), during its first flight on April 13, 2017. This jet and a second will undertake the variant's certification testing this year and into 2018.

Boeing has received US Federal Aviation Administration approval for the 737 MAX 9. Lion Air will be the first operator.

The 737 MAX 9 will be able to accommodate between 180 and 204 seats, three more rows longer than the 737 MAX 8. The aircraft has the same fuselage length as the 737-900ER.

The latest member of the Boeing 737 family, the MAX 10, was unveiled on November 22, 2019. It is unlikely to begin flight testing until the grounding order has been rescinded.

Aéromexico has a transborder partnership with Delta on US services

Pictured in January 2021, this Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8, C-FSNU (c/n 61220), has chalked up more days on the ground than in the air since its June 2018 delivery

The Boeing 737 MAX was grounded globally by the FAA from March 13, 2019 until November 18, 2020

Air Canada has ferried 22 examples from its 24-strong fleet to Pinal Air Park, Arizona, for storage.

Air Canada's first Boeing 737 MAX 8 arriving at Toronto Lester B Pearson International Airport as ACA7168 early in the morning on November 2, 2017, from Kelowna, ready to commence flight training after its delivery flight from Boeing Field on October 31.

The demonstration flight lifts off from Dallas/Fort Worth bound for Tulsa, Oklahoma - a distance of approximately 235 miles

Dallas/Fort Worth-based American Airlines was the first airline to indicate an interest in a fourth-generation 737, ordering 100 in 2014

The author snapped a picture of the MAX’S wing in-flight - a view few will have seen for more than 20 months

The airline returned the type to fare-paying service on December 29, 2020 between Miami and New York's LaGuardia Airport

The media demonstration flight carried 140 passengers which included airline employees, stakeholders and members of the press

American Airlines’ 24-strong pre-grounding order fleet has since grown with more jets introduced during December and January

The media demonstration flight and subsequent tour of American Airlines’ Tulsa TechOps facility enabled members of the press to speak to those responsible for returning the carrier’s jets to service

More than 64,000 man-hours have been spent maintaining American Airlines’ 24 MAX jets since the FAA issued its grounding order in March 2019

Around 95 members of TechOps staff work on the MAX fleet each day

More than 1,900 anti-deterioration engine runs have been completed since March 2019

A rear view of the CFM International LEAP-1B engine that powers the Boeing 737 MAX

Malindo Air, which is to be rebranded to Batik Air, was first to put the 737 MAX 8 into service with services between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

The first example, 9M-LRC (c/n 42985) was delivered to Lion Air Group subsidiary, Malindo Air on May 16, 2017

While more than 25 years have elapsed since an IAG carrier took delivery of a Boeing 737, a British Airways-liveried MAX 8 was delivered to South African franchisee Comair in February 2019.

On March 10, 2019, Boeing 737MAX ET-AVJ crashed six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa, owing to a malfunction in the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), killing all aboard and grounding the entire 737MAX fleet worldwide. The aircraft is seen here taking off from Tel Aviv on February 8 that year, a month before the tragedy.

Malindo Air is set to be the 737 MAX 8’s launch customer, but the aircraft of several other operators - including flyDubai’s first example, A6-MAX (c/n 60966) have been parked at Renton.

flydubai’s World Cup livery features members of the Argentine national football team, including Leandro Paredes, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul

Norway’s distinctive geography means that for many Norwegians, flying is the only practical travel option

The Flyr fleet currently consists of 12 Boeing aircraft but CEO Tonje Wikstrom Frislid has not ruled out using other types in future

The Rio de Janeiro-based carrier was the first to fly fare-paying passengers on the Boeing 737 MAX in nearly two years

Brazil's GOL Linhas Aereas became the first carrier globally to resume passenger services with the type

Boeing has delivered Icelandair's first 737 MAX 8, TF-ICE (c/n 44353), pictured departing Seattle bound for Reykjavik. This is the first of 16 737 MAX family aircraft Icelandair will receive. The airline's plans call for two more deliveries in 2018 before six in 2019, five in 2020 and two in 2021.

Icelandair and L3 have launched a pilot cadet programme, one of many new training initiatives designed to boost pilot numbers.

The first Boeing 737 MAX 8 for a central and eastern European airline was delivered to LOT Polish Airlines early in December. The aircraft, SP-LVA (c/n 64067), leased from the Air Lease Corporation, is the first of six 737 MAX aircraft that will enter service with the Polish carrier by April 2020. Boeing has also recently delivered the initial 737 MAX 8 to a Latin American carrier, with the handover of the first aircraft to Aerolineas Argentinas early in December 2017.

China is among the nations most affected - a dozen of its carriers have withdrawn aircraft from service, while 16 airlines are awaiting MAX deliveries.

Malaysia Airlines' recent order for 25 Boeing 737 MAXs symbolises the changing focus of the carrier towards its home region.

Norwegian has rationalised its transatlantic network, axing services from Ireland.

Norwegian’s 737 MAX 8 EI-FYA (c/n 42826) is to receive a tail decal depicting the low-cost long-haul pioneer Sir Freddie Laker, reflecting how the carrier will use its new 737 MAX 8s on transatlantic services to the eastern United States.

Oman Air's Boeing 737 MAX A40-MA powered by CFM56 engines.

Environmental sustainability and decarbonisation are central to Qatar Airways Cargo’s current corporate strategy

Royal Air Maroc has taken delivery of two new Boeing models as it expands and modernises its fleet.

Ryanair took delivery of its first Boeing 737-8200 Gamechanger aircraft in Seattle, Washington, on June 16, 2021. The aircraft flew overnight from Seattle to Dublin

European low-cost carrier Ryanair has ordered the high-density MAX 200 variant which has capacity for up to 200 passengers

Singapore Airlines’ regional arm SilkAir’s first Boeing 737 MAX 8, 9V-MBA (c/n 44246), departed Seattle on September 28, 2017. It arrived in Singapore via Guam on October 1 and was officially inaugurated three days later. The airline will introduce a new Singapore-Hiroshima route with the aircraft. SilkAir signed for 37 737 MAXs in November 2012 as part of a 54-aircraft deal including 17 Next Generation 737-800s.

Industry consultancy IBA says the leasing market for single-aisle narrowbodies is booming. This Boeing 737 MAX 8 OK-SWA (c/n 43555) was delivered to the Czech operator Travel Service earlier this year on lease from GECAS.

13 марта 2018г. на авиазаводе корпорации Boeing в Рентоне состоялась выкатка 10000-го по счету самолета модели 737. Таким образом, Boeing 737 стали самым массовым в истории авиации семейством реактивных коммерческих самолетов, что и было зафиксировано в Книге рекордов Гиннесса. Юбилейным стал лайнер Boeing 737 MAX 8, заказанный американским лоукостером Southwest. Первый полет Boeing 737 состоялся 9 апреля 1967 г., а 50 лет назад самолет вошел в эксплуатацию.

One of the two 737 MAX 8s for Southwest Airlines that emerged from the Renton paint shop in June 2016.

One of the first Southwest 737 MAX aircraft, N8705Q (c/n 42558), at Boeing’s Renton facility in January 2017. Norwegian will be first to put the 737 MAX 8 into service, but with 200 737 MAX 8s on order, Southwest will be one of the major operators of the updated 737.

Southwest Airlines is the world’s largest operator of the 737 MAX with a fleet comprising 47 examples

JANUARY 2018 SAW Southwest Airlines exercise options to buy 40 more 737 MAX 8s and defer deliveries of 23 smaller 737 MAX 7s. Southwest said the new purchase would, "support future growth opportunities and fleet modernisation at favourable economics". The airline will now receive a further 15 737 MAX 8s in 2019 and 25 in 2020. Deliveries of the 23 737 MAX 7s have been pushed back from 2019 through 2021 to 2023 (12 aircraft) and 2024 (the other 11 jets).

Southwest Airlines is the type's largest customer, holding commitments for 280 examples.

A telling photo taken in April 2019, with Southwest Airlines' fleet of grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8s parked at Victorville in California.

The entire Southwest Airlines MAX fleet, totalling 34 examples, has been stored at Southern California Logistics Airport.

SpiceJet has suffered from more exposure to the 737 MAX grounding than many of its competitors

India's SpiceJet operates to several Middle Eastern gateways, including: Dubai/International, Muscat (Oman), Jeddah and Riyadh (both Saudi Arabia)

The first of 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8s for TUI Airways’ UK operation arrives on a stereotypically overcast Manchester day.

United Airlines will receive 100 737 MAX 10s, although these orders have been switched to the variant from the smaller 737 MAX 8.

More than 250 airliners are currently stored at Grant County International Airport, Washington.

Dozens of 737 MAX examples are pictured in temporary storage at Boeing Field near Seattle.

Unable to deliver its new airliners, Boeing's backlog quickly spilled over into staff carparks.

The liveries applied to a row of stored jets at Grant County International Airport in Washington highlights the grounding's global impact.

Some airliners have been in storage at Boeing Field for almost 12 months. Among them are jets intended for carriers that have since cancelled their planned leases or, in the case of Jet Airways, have gone out of business.

Manufacturers and airlines have conducted numerous demo flights involving sustainable aviation fuel in the last 14 years

Boeing had continued to manufacture 42 737s a month following the MAX's removal from service, but announced in December 2019 it would close the production line from mid-January.

Following production by Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas, the first 737 MAX fuselage arrived at Renton in August 2015.

Spirit Aerosystems - one of Boeing's biggest suppliers - receives more than 50% of its revenue from the 737 MAX programme. It produces a range of components, including fuselage barrels, engine nacelles, thrust reversers and wing leading edges.

Under ever-increasing pressure, Boeing halted production of the jet in January 2020 for five months

Machine operator Les Nystrom toads wing skin panels and stringers for the first 737 MAX on the new panel assembly line at Renton.