Boeing’s 737 MAX 7 has successfully completed its first flight and will now begin a comprehensive flight test programme leading to certification and delivery in 2019.
The third and newest member of Boeing’s 737 MAX family to be produced, the MAX 7 aircraft completed a successful three hour, five-minute flight on Friday taking off from Renton Field in Renton, Washington, and landing at Seattle’s Boeing Field. The aircraft was put through tests on its flight controls, as well as checks of its systems and handling qualities.
“Everything we saw during today’s flight shows that the MAX 7 is performing exactly as designed,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX programme, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “I know our airline customers are going to enjoy the capabilities this airplane will bring to their fleets.”
The Boeing 737 MAX 7 has a maximum capacity of 172 passengers, a range of 3,850 nautical miles – the longest of any MAX family aircraft – and is designed for top performance for airlines flying 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, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The 737 MAX family incorporates the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, Boeing Sky Interior and large flight deck displays.
