Boeing 737 MAX makes maiden flight
Print Edition
BOEING Co’s 737 MAX aircraft completed its first flight on Friday, taking off from a rain-slick tarmac and conducting tests for about three hours before landing safely at Boeing Field in Seattle.
The smooth flight of the new aircraft marks another step toward scheduled delivery to airlines in 2017.
Live video supplied by Boeing showed the smooth take-off in the morning and landing about three hours later.
The plane is the fourth version of the original 737, which made its first flight in 1967 and has become one of Boeing's most profitable aircraft.
The 737 MAX features new engines from CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric and Safran SA of France, and other refinements that improve fuel efficiency by 14 percent compared with the current generation 737.
Boeing has sold 3,072 of the planes and is racing to sell more as it battles for market share against rival Airbus's competing A320neo, which earlier this month was delivered to its first customer, Lufthansa.
Boeing is expected to deliver its first 737 MAX to customers in 2017. Southwest Airlines Co is set to be the first airline to add the 737 MAX to its fleet.
The first flight of the plane, which is filled with test equipment, was expected to last about 2 1/2 hours. Tracking web sites showed the aircraft cruising west over the Olympic Peninsula, the western part of Washington State.
Boeing said on Wednesday it would cut output of current-generation 737s this year to allow the factory to build the 737 MAX.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
