Boeing Max takes flight

The maiden flight for Boeing’s new MAX development of the 737 took place last Friday 29 January. 

Boeing also announced last week that it will raise production of its most successful ever aircraft to an astonishing 57 units per month in 2019 at its single Renton, Seattle plant.  Airbus is set to produce 60 of the the 320 series per month in 2018 but this is spread across four factories worldwide with completely different labour arrangements and style of working. 

The Boeing 737 has essentially the same cross section as the Boeing 707 which first flew in December 1957.  Also last week Boeing delivered the 8,888^th to be built (for Xiamen Airlines) since the original prototype took to the air 9 April 1967.  The total order book stands at 13,237.

Airbus by comparison produced the first A320 in 1987 with just under 7,000 delivered and 12,411 sold. 

With the other three members of the 737 MAX 8 flight-test fleet currently in different stages of final assembly, the 737 MAX remains on track for first delivery to Southwest Airlines in the third quarter of 2017.  Boeing claims a 20% reduction in fuel economy than the present New Generation model, and 8% on the competing Airbus A320 series.  www.boeing.com/commercial

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Efrem DANIELI, Israel

It is quite emotional to follow the development of the 737 thru so many years...