Boeing 737 MAX
Illustrative image; it may differ from the actual aircraft.The Boeing 737 MAX is a series of narrow-body aircraft developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the fourth generation of the Boeing 737. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation and incorporates more efficient CFM International LEAP engines, aerodynamic improvements such as split-tip winglets, and structural modifications. The program was announced in August 2011, the first flight took place in January 2016, and the aircraft was certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 2017. The first delivery, a MAX 8, was made to Malindo Air in May 2017. The 737 MAX series includes four main variants—the MAX 7, MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10—with increasing fuselage length and seating capacity. Boeing also developed a high-density version, the MAX 200, launched by Ryanair.
Specifications
Figures for the 737 MAX 8 variant, the most representative of the family
The type first flew in 2016 (10 years ago) · About 1,800 units built · Still in production
Figures for the type, not for this particular aircraft: each variant and each configuration changes something. They are shown in both systems used in aviation.
The story of the type
Development
Background
In 2006, Boeing began to consider replacing the 737 with a "clean sheet" design that could follow the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In June 2010, executives postponed the decision. On December 1, 2010, Boeing competitor Airbus launched the Airbus A320neo family, which offered better fuel economy and operating efficiency than the 737 NG, thanks to its engines: the LEAP from CFM International and the PW1000G from Pratt & Whitney.
In February 2011, Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said, "We're going to do a new airplane." The company had been developing a new aircraft to replace the 737 as part of its Yellowstone Project. In March 2011, Boeing CFO James A. Bell told investors that the company might re-engine the 737, but later that month Boeing Commercial Airplanes President James Albaugh said that the company was not sure about that. The Airbus A320neo gathered 667 commitments at the June 2011 Paris Air Show, bringing its order backlog to 1,029 aircraft, an order record for a new commercial airliner.
On July 20, 2011, American Airlines, which had long bought only Boeing jets, announced an order for 460 narrowbody jets including 130 A320ceo (current engine option), 130 A320neo, and 100 737NG. Officials also said they would order 100 re-engined 737s with CFM LEAP if Boeing pursued the project.
Program launch
Faced with the record orders for Airbus and the defection of a long-time customer, on August 30, 2011, Boeing's board of directors approved the launch of the re-engined 737 MAX, which they said would meet or exceed the range of the Airbus A320neo while burning 4% less fuel. Studies for additional drag reduction were performed during 2011, including revised tail cone, natural laminar flow engine nacelle, and hybrid laminar flow vertical stabilizer. To focus on the re-engine project, Boeing abandoned the development of a new design under its Yellowstone Project. 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 US$2–3 billion, including the CFM engine development. During Boeing's Q2 2011 earnings call, CFO James Bell said the development cost for the airframe only would be 10–15% of the cost of a new program, which was estimated at US$10–12 billion 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 US$2 billion, and closer to US$4 billion. 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. 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 technology developed for the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing also considered a parallel development along with the 757 replacement, similar to the development of the 757 and 767 in the 1970s.
Production
On August 13, 2015, the first 737 MAX fuselage completed assembly at Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, Kansas, 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.
Because GKN could not produce the titanium honeycomb inner walls for the thrust reversers 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, nacelles, and wing leading edges.
A new spar-assembly line with robotic 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 Leap-1B 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 (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) 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.
Variants
The 737 MAX 7, MAX 8 and MAX 9 succeed the 737-700, -800, and -900ER, respectively—the most widely used variants of the previous 737 Next Generation series. Since 2020, their official FAA type certificate and marketing designations have been 737-7, 737-8, and 737-9. The MAX 8 entered service in May 2017, followed by the MAX 9 in March 2018, and the MAX 200, a high-density variant of the MAX 8, in June 2021. Deliveries of the MAX 7 and MAX 10 have not yet begun, following years of certification delays.
The MAX 8 is the most widely ordered variant. In 2018, Boeing projected that 60–65% of demand would be for the midsized MAX 8, 20–25% for the larger MAX 9 and MAX 10, and 10% for the smaller MAX 7.
At the July 2016 Farnborough Air Show, Boeing announced that the MAX 7, originally based on the 737-700, will accommodate two more seat rows than the 737-700 for 138 seats. Compared to the 737-700, the MAX 7 has a pair of over-wing exit doors rather than the single-door, a 46-inch (120 cm) longer aft fuselage and a 30-inch (76 cm) longer forward fuselage, structural re-gauging and strengthening, and systems and interior modifications to accommodate the longer length. The MAX 7 uses the same wing and landing gear as the MAX 8. It is expected to fly 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) farther than the -700 with 18% lower fuel costs per seat. Boeing predicts that the MAX 7 will carry 12 more passengers 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) farther than A319neo with seven percent lower operating costs per seat.
Production on the first 65-foot-long (20 m) wing spar for the 737 MAX 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 250 knots (460 km/h; 290 mph) and 25,000 feet (7,600 m), performed a low approach, systems checks and an inflight engine restart, and landed at Boeing's flight test center in Moses Lake, Washington.
Entry into service with launch operator Southwest Airlines was originally expected in January 2019; however, it has been repeatedly delayed. Southwest had ordered a total of 234 MAX 7s. WestJet also ordered 22 MAX 7s, but later converted those into MAX 8s amid the delays. In 2022, Southwest announced that it would take early delivery of its MAX 8 orders to make up for the delay of the MAX 7. In January 2024, Southwest removed the MAX 7 from future fleet planning, but the company said that it remained committed to the type and was willing to wait for first delivery.
Boeing completed the anti-ice redesign in November 2025, solving a major hurdle in the aircraft type's certification process. The MAX 7 was certified by the FAA on August 3, 2026. The aircraft's first delivery is expected to be to a Boeing Business Jet customer.
The first variant developed in the 737 MAX series; the MAX 8 replaces the 737-800 with a longer fuselage than the MAX 7. In 2016, Boeing planned to improve its range from 3,515 nautical miles (6,510 km; 4,045 mi) to 3,610 nmi (6,690 km; 4,150 mi) 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 449 knots (517 mph; 832 km/h) and a weight of 140,500 pounds (63,700 kg), at a lower than optimal altitude (FL350 vs. the preferred FL390) and with an "unusually far forward" center of gravity, the test aircraft consumed 4,460 lb (2,020 kg) of fuel per hour.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 completed its first flight test in La Paz, Bolivia. The 13,300-foot (4,100 m) altitude at El Alto International Airport tested the MAX's capability to take off and land at high altitudes. Its first commercial flight was operated by Malindo Air on May 22, 2017, between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore as Flight OD803.
Where this type is seen
From our logbook: 722 aircraft of this type documented at 131 airports.
A count of our own aircraft profiles, year by year, from the public United States flight records: it reflects what we have documented, not the airport’s total traffic.
Overview and history adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · technical figures from the manufacturer’s published specifications and standard aviation references
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This page was last updated on October 11, 2026
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BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_model_b737max,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Boeing 737 MAX}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-11},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/b737max},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/b737max}},
urldate = {2026-10-16},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/b737max |title=Boeing 737 MAX |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-11 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}