Boeing 737 MAX

Boeing 737 MAX
A white plane with a navy blue eskimo on the tail and the word "Alaska" painted across the fuselage, in-flight over a blue sky
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 taking off from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in March 2023
General information
TypeNarrow-body airliner
National originUnited States
ManufacturerBoeing Commercial Airplanes
StatusIn service
Primary usersSouthwest Airlines
Number built1,654 as of October 2024[1]
History
Manufactured2014–present[n 1][3]
Introduction dateMay 22, 2017 with Malindo Air[4]
First flightJanuary 29, 2016; 8 years ago (January 29, 2016)[5]
Developed fromBoeing 737 Next Generation
This article is part of a series about the Boeing 737 MAX
Accidents

The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) and competes with the Airbus A320neo family. The series was announced in August 2011, first flown in January 2016, and certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 2017. The first 737 MAX delivered to a customer was a MAX 8 to Malindo Air, which accepted and began operating the aircraft in May 2017.

The 737 MAX is based on earlier 737 designs, with more efficient CFM International LEAP engines, aerodynamic changes including distinctive split-tip winglets, and airframe modifications. The 737 MAX series has been offered in four variants, with 138 to 204 seats in typical two-class configuration, and a range of 3,300 to 3,850 nautical miles [nmi] (6,110 to 7,130 km; 3,800 to 4,430 mi). The 737 MAX 7, MAX 8, and MAX 9 are intended to replace the 737-700, -800, and -900 respectively, and a further-stretched 737 MAX 10 is available. However, as of October 2024, the MAX 7 and MAX 10 have not been certified, with the FAA declining to provide a timetable for approval. As of October 2024, the 737 MAX has 4,793 unfilled orders and 1,654 deliveries.

The 737 MAX has been involved in two fatal accidents: Lion Air Flight 610 in late 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in early 2019. 346 people died in total. Contributing to the accidents was the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which activated unexpectedly due to erroneous angle of attack data, and remained active because of pilot error caused by inadequate training. The aircraft was subsequently grounded worldwide from March 2019 to November 2020, with the FAA garnering criticism for being the last major authority to ground it.[6] Investigations found Boeing did not fully inform operators about MCAS and found shortcomings in the FAA's certification process for the aircraft. The accidents and grounding cost Boeing an estimated US$20 billion in fines, compensation, and legal fees as of 2020, with indirect losses of more than US$60 billion from 1,200 cancelled orders.[7][8][9] In 2021, Boeing paid US$2.5 billion in penalties and compensation to settle the DOJ's fraud conspiracy case against the company.[10][11] Further investigations revealed the FAA and Boeing had colluded on recertification test flights and attempted to cover up important information, and that the FAA had retaliated against whistleblowers.[12] The FAA cleared the aircraft to return to service on November 18, 2020, subject to mandated design and training changes. Canadian and European authorities followed in late January 2021. By December 2021, when Chinese authorities lifted their grounding, 180 of 195 countries had cleared the 737 MAX to return to service.

In January 2024, the doorway closure blew out of an unused exit doorway on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, causing an uncontrolled decompression of the aircraft. The FAA immediately mandated a grounding and inspections of all 737 MAX 9 with a similar configuration; affected aircraft were returned to service starting at the end of that month. The investigation found the plug was not fully bolted into place during production; a subsequent FAA audit found many problems in the production process.[13]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference O_D_summ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Flight27may2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Production begins on first 737 MAX parts". Boeing Commercial Airplanes. October 13, 2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  4. ^ Hashim, Firdaus (May 22, 2017). "Malindo operates world's first 737 Max flight". FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ST160129 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "The US is increasingly alone in not grounding the Boeing 737 Max". Quartz. March 13, 2019. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  7. ^ "FAA clears Boeing 737 Max to fly again 20 months after grounding over deadly crashes". November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  8. ^ Isidore, Chris (November 17, 2020). "Boeing's 737 Max debacle could be the most expensive corporate blunder ever". CNN. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Gates, Dominic (November 18, 2020). "Boeing 737 MAX can return to the skies, FAA says". Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference USDOJ7jan2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference ST2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "FAA and Boeing manipulated 737 Max tests during recertification". The Verge. December 18, 2020. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  13. ^ Walker, Mark (March 12, 2024). "F.A.A. Audit of Boeing's 737 Max Production Found Dozens of Issues". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.


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