The new 737 MAX-8 next generation civilian airliner has successfully completed its first two hour and 47 minute test flight, Boeing announced in a news release. What you probably didn’t know that Boeing is all set to refresh its line-up with the Boeing 737 MAX range of commercial aeroplanes. The models will seat between 126 and 220 passengers, depending on the type and how airlines choose to configure it. “Today’s event also marks the continuation of a strong collaborative relationship with Boeing to bring these advanced displays and flight deck commonality to its entire fleet of next-generation aircraft”.
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Boeing has taken 3,072 737 MAX orders as it battles for market share against Airbus’s competing A320neo, which was delivered to its first customer, Lufthansa earlier this month. Boeing rose 1.8 per cent to $120.13 at the close on Friday in NY.
“We’re proud to celebrate this first flight milestone with Boeing”, said Spirit President and CEO Larry Lawson. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, simulation and training, and information management is delivered by a global workforce, and a service and support network that crosses more than 150 countries.
Sixty percent of the orders to date correspond to the MAX 8 variant. Meanwhile, the company has consolidated fuselage systems installation from two parts, each serving one assembly line, into a single new three-level, moving design tool, allowing the company to more efficiently use the available space in Renton. The MAX 8 carries a list price of $110 million per copy, with other members of the re-engined MAX family selling for $90.2 million for the MAX 7, $112.9 million for the MAX 200 and $116.6 million for the MAX 9. The second MAX aircraft built will be incorporated into the test program within a month. At 9.48 am local time, the flight was scheduled.
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Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren is a Seattle-based photojournalist and aviation writer and a contributor to Ben Mutzabaugh’s Today in the Sky blog.
