Boeing 737MAXSouth Seas Aviation

Boeing 737 MAX 10 to make maiden flight in 2020

Boeing 737 MAX 10 has officially debuted in the company’s Renton, Washington, factory on November 22, 2019. The version is the last variation of the Boeing 737 MAX family, which will eventually consist of four aircraft types. The maiden flight of the MAX 10 is scheduled in 2020.

Before it makes its first flight in 2020, the airliner will now undergo system checks and engine runs. “I’m honored to take this airplane on its first flight and show the world what you’ve put your heart and soul into,” 737 Chief Pilot Jennifer Henderson is cited in the company’s statement as saying.

The 737 MAX 10 is the largest plane in the MAX aircraft family and can seat up to 230 passengers. The plane also offers “the lowest seat-mile cost of any single-aisle airplane ever produced,” according to the company itself.

The 737 MAX 10 debuted in a ceremony attended by “thousands” of employees, praised by management for their focus on safety and quality, according to the company’s statement. “Today is not just about a new airplane. It’s about the people who design, build and support it,” said Mark Jenks, vice president and general manager of the 737 program, as cited in the statement. “This team’s relentless focus on safety and quality shows the commitment we have to our airline customers and every person who flies on a Boeing airplane.”

Two variants of the Boeing MAX family, the MAX 8 and MAX 9, are already in service, while MAX 7, the smallest of the model series, completed the maiden flight in March 2018 and was expected for first delivery in 2019, but these plans have been tainted.

Lion Air flight 610, operated on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed into the Java sea on October 29, 2019. In less than six months, on March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, also operated on a 737 MAX 8, downed shortly after takeoff, killing all people onboard. In the following few days aviation authorities around the world grounded the MAX family.

Now, Boeing is working to get grounding lifted and the airliner re-certified. The manufacturer is introducing software changes for the MAX, as well as new pilot training, among other updates.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/34shVFO

Image: Boeing, NRL photo