The Boeing 737 MAX 9 only took to the skies for the first time in April, weeks after its public unveiling in Renton, Washington, and now the stretched version of the MAX 8 passenger plane is off to the Paris Air Show. Joining a 787-10 Dreamliner, the MAX 9 flight test aircraft will take part in an air display as Boeing attempts to woo potential customers.
According to Boeing, the 737 MAX is the company's fastest selling airplane ever, with over 3,700 orders on the books from 87 customers worldwide. The MAX 9 is currently the largest member of the 737 MAX family yet, capable of carrying 220 passengers with an improved range of 3,605 nmi (4,149 mi; 6,676 km) by 2021.
Powered by two LEAP-1B engines, Being claims the US$116.6 million narrow-body aircraft is 10 to 12 percent more efficient than liners using the previous CFM56-7B engine and has a 40 percent smaller noise footprint.
Deliveries of the 737 MAX 9 are expected to begin next year. Meanwhile, the smaller MAX 7 and the higher-capacity MAX 200 are expected to debut in 2019.
The Paris Air Show runs from June 19 to 25 at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport.
Source: Boeing
Range is improved but its takeoff and landing performance could be limiting. I've flown 737NGs and 757/767s. The tech in the NGs and Max aircraft is a generation ahead of the 756s but the 756s have much lower approach speeds and shorter landing distances.