The largest of the 737 MAX family of aircraft, the MAX 10, completed its maiden flight at Renton Field, Washington, on Friday June 18, 2021. The plane took off at 10.07 a.m. and landed at 12.38 a.m. at Boeing Field in Seattle.
“The airplane performed beautifully,” said 737 Chief Pilot Capt. Jennifer Henderson. “The profile we flew allowed us to test the airplane’s systems, flight controls and handling qualities, all of which checked out exactly as we expected.” The new Max variant is expected to enter into service in 2023 and this test flight marks the beginning of a comprehensive test program whereby Boeing will work closely with U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulators.
“The 737-10 is an important part of our customers’ fleet plans, giving them more capacity, greater fuel efficiency and the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle airplane,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Our team is committed to delivering an airplane with the highest quality and reliability.”
The 737-10 will carry up to 230 passengers and will incorporate environmental improvements, cutting carbon emissions by 14% and reducing noise by 50% compared to today’s next-generation 737s. The 737 MAX 10 is powered by twin LEAP-1B engines from CFM and in November 2019, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, 531 of the MAX variant had been ordered.
