Boeing 737 MAX
The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth major generation of the Boeing 737, a family of twin-engine, narrow-body airliners. Developed from the 737 Next Generation, it combines CFM International LEAP-1B engines with aerodynamic, flight-deck and systems changes while retaining a common 737 type-rating lineage.[1][2]
Development and entry into service
Boeing formally launched the programme in August 2011 as a re-engined development of the 737 Next Generation. The company pursued an amended type certificate based on the 737 NG rather than certifying an entirely new type; the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that Boeing applied for certification in January 2012 and that the process took about five years.[3][2]
The first 737-8 flew from Renton on 29 January 2016. Boeing delivered the first production aircraft to Malindo Air on 16 May 2017, and the airline placed the type into commercial service on 22 May on a Kuala Lumpur–Singapore flight.[4][5][6]
Design
The MAX preserves the basic 737 fuselage cross-section and low ground clearance while introducing the larger-fan LEAP-1B engine. Its nacelles are mounted farther forward and higher than those of the 737 NG. The family also introduced Boeing's split-tip Advanced Technology winglet, a reshaped tail cone, revised systems and four 15-inch flight-deck displays.[7][8]
The LEAP-1B is the only production engine offered for the family. Boeing's airport-planning manual classifies the MAX as FAA Airplane Design Group III and ICAO Code C, allowing it to use broadly the same airport stands and taxiways as earlier 737 generations.[8]
Flight-control changes
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was introduced as part of the MAX's speed-trim functions to help provide the required handling characteristics in particular high-angle-of-attack, manual-flight conditions. Following the 2018 and 2019 accidents, the return-to-service configuration changed flight-control-computer software, added safeguards against erroneous MCAS activation, introduced an angle-of-attack disagree alert, revised procedures and training, and required sensor tests and an operational-readiness flight for stored aircraft.[9][10]
Variants
| Variant | Typical two-class seating | Maximum seating | Published range | Length | Programme position at 29 August 2026 |
| 737-7 | 135–160 | 172 | 3,800 nmi (7,040 km) | 35.6 m (116 ft 8 in) | FAA certified in August 2026; first deliveries were being prepared |
| 737-8 | 160–180 | 210 | 3,500 nmi (6,480 km) | 39.5 m (129 ft 6 in) | In production and service |
| 737-8-200 | High-density derivative of the 737-8 | 210 | Operator-dependent | 39.5 m (129 ft 6 in) | In production and service |
| 737-9 | 175–195 | 220 | 3,300 nmi (6,110 km) | 42.1 m (138 ft 2 in) | In production and service |
| 737-10 | 185–210 | 230 | 3,100 nmi (5,740 km) | 43.8 m (143 ft 8 in) | Certification work remained in progress |
Boeing also markets business-jet derivatives. The high-density 737-8-200 uses an additional pair of mid-cabin exits to support its higher certified seating capacity. Published range and seating figures are planning values; an airline's certified layout and operational range depend on weight options, interior, reserves and route conditions.[1][8]
The FAA granted an amended type certificate for the 737-7 on 3 August 2026. Boeing reported that 737-10 flight testing had completed in July 2026 but that development-assurance reviews, system-safety assessments and regulatory submissions were still being closed out.[11][12]
Specifications
All variants have a published wingspan of 35.9 m (117 ft 10 in) and a height of 12.3 m (40 ft 4 in). Boeing publishes maximum take-off weights ranging from 80,280 kg (177,000 lb) for the 737-7 to 89,760 kg (197,900 lb) for the 737-10. These are family comparison figures rather than limits for every individual aircraft; certified weights vary with model and customer option.[1]
Production, orders and deliveries
The 737 MAX is assembled at Renton, Washington. Boeing reported an order book of more than 7,200 aircraft and 2,360 deliveries through the end of June 2026. These figures change as orders are booked, cancelled, reclassified and delivered, so Boeing's orders-and-deliveries data should be used for the latest totals.[11]
Operators
The first operator was Malaysia's Malindo Air, which subsequently adopted the Batik Air Malaysia brand. Boeing states that more than 100 customers have placed firm orders for the family. The operator base includes network, low-cost, leisure and lessor customers; individual fleet totals and aircraft status should be taken from current operator or regulator records rather than inferred from historic order announcements.[5][1]
Southwest Airlines was preparing to receive the first 737-7s following that variant's August 2026 certification. The 737-8, 737-8-200 and 737-9 were already in airline service, while the 737-10 had not yet entered commercial service.[11][12]
Accidents, grounding and return to service
Lion Air Flight 610, a 737-8 registered PK-LQP, crashed into the Java Sea on 29 October 2018, killing all 189 people aboard. Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737-8 registered ET-AVJ, crashed near Bishoftu on 10 March 2019, killing all 157 aboard. The investigations identified combinations of technical, certification, maintenance, operational and human-factor issues; erroneous angle-of-attack data and repeated MCAS commands were central to both accident sequences.[13][14][10]
Civil aviation authorities grounded the MAX after the second accident. The FAA issued its US emergency prohibition on 13 March 2019 and rescinded it on 18 November 2020 after a 20-month review, but each aircraft and operator still had to complete mandated modifications, maintenance and training before returning to service.[15][16]
On 5 January 2024, a mid-exit door plug separated from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a 737-9, shortly after take-off. The FAA temporarily grounded affected 737-9 aircraft for inspections and maintenance and halted expansion of MAX production. In its 2025 final findings, the US National Transportation Safety Board attributed the separation to Boeing's inadequate training, guidance and oversight of factory workers and issued further recommendations to Boeing and the FAA.[17][18]
Related aircraft
Boeing 737 — the wider aircraft family of which the MAX is the fourth generation
Airbus A320 family — the principal competing narrow-body family
Sources
737 MAX family — Boeing
737 MAX airport planning manual — Boeing
The Boeing 737 MAX certification — Federal Aviation Administration
Summary of the FAA's review of the Boeing 737 MAX — Federal Aviation Administration
Lion Air Flight 610 final report — Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 final report — Ethiopian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, hosted by BEA
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 findings — National Transportation Safety Board