Following its debut at Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington early last month, the new 737 Max 7 has now completed its first flight from the site in Renton to Seattle’s Boeing Field.
The test flight comes ahead of the aircraft’s expected service entry in 2019, when the first aircraft will be delivered to launch customer Southwest Airlines.
Expected to have a capacity of 172 seats, the single-aisle Max 7 is the third and smallest member of Boeing’s Max line – a revamp of its previous 737 models. So far the series includes the Max 8, which entered service in 2017, the soon-to-launch Max 9 and the Max 10, which will be the largest in the 737 Max line.
However, the Max 7 has the longest range of the series at 3,840 nautical miles and according to Boeing has been designed to fly out of airports at high altitudes and in hot climates.
“The Max 7 will provide airlines an efficient product for opening and flying thinner markets and accessing challenging airports, while enjoying all the benefits of being part of the 737 Max family,” said Randy Tinseth, Boeing’s vice president of marketing.
Boeing regularly touts the 737 as being its fastest-selling aircraft, and earlier this month the manufacturer rolled out its 10,000th aircraft in the series, garnering it a Guinness World Record as the world’s most produced commercial jet. Boeing still has orders for a further 4,600 B737s, many of which are from its new Max series.
The Max 9 will be the next aircraft in the series to launch, with service entry expected later this year. Meanwhile the Max 10 is planned to start flying in 2020.
