Taking off over Lake Washington on January 30, the Boeing 737 MAX, nicknamed the “Spirit of Renton”, was accompanied by the cheers of 4,000 Boeing employees who stood in the Seattle drizzle to witness the historic maiden flight. Stay dry and see for yourself.
The plane ascended to 25,000 feet and 2-1/2 hours later landed back at Boeing Field where the pilots held a press conference. “Wow, what an amazing machine!” Chief Pilot Ed Wilson told the crowd.
The new plane was built to impress customers and airline operators alike: Better environmental performance. Superior fuel efficiency that reduces carbon emissions. A 40% smaller noise footprint than today's single-aisle airplanes to make that in-flight nap a little more peaceful. And an interior that creates a spacious feel with flowing curves and full length sculpted sidewalls.
At the beginning of its 100th anniversary year, the successful flight of the Boeing 737 Max came shortly after the company announced that production will rise 35% through 2019 from 42 per month today to 57 per month in 2019. Already, the program has amassed more than 3,000 orders from 62 customers around the world.
The plane begins its test flight period now and will enter commercial service in the third quarter of 2017 when Southwest Airlines adds the plane to its fleet.
Hamilton is proud to be a part of the Boeing team. Our maintenance-free casters help them reduce downtime, cut repair costs and keep up with a nearly endless stream of orders.
Congratulations to our friends at Team Boeing!
