United Airlines reaches one hundred Boeing 737 MAX
Almost a year ago, Boeing had reached the milestone of 740 737 MAX jets delivered, after a long period in which the aircraft was banned from taking on commercial flights due to safety problems.
At the end of last quarter, the US manufacturer had already increased total deliveries to almost 1,100 planes, a sign that mistrust about the newest variant of the 737 was in the past.
US airlines are leading the way in expanding the 737 MAX fleet around the world. Southwest, which is the largest operator of the model, already has 166 of them in service, an increase of 131% - there were 72 jets a year ago.
The second largest customer for the 737 MAX is United Airlines, which has just entered the three-figure mark. The carrier took delivery of the 100th aircraft, registration number N17301, days ago and has set an impressive pace of fleet renewal.
According to the company, two new planes are received per week, a cadence that will last until the end of this year at least.
United operates a mixed fleet with 45 737 MAX 8s and 56 MAX 9s so far while Southwest only owns the 737-8 - the company is expected to receive dozens of 737 MAX 7s when it is certified this year.
The third largest growth was registered by the also American Alaska Airlines, whose fleet of the 737 MAX jumped from 20 to 43 aircraft.
China is left behind
American Airlines, on the other hand, has paused the expansion of the jet's fleet, remaining with 42 737 MAX 8s while there are another 88 pending delivery.
| Pos. | Carrier | 737 MAX 8 | 737 MAX 9 | Total fleet (2023) | Var. | Total fleet (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1º | Southwest Airlines | 166 | 166 | 131% | 72 | |
| 2º | United Airlines | 45 | 56 | 101 | 120% | 46 |
| 3º | Ryanair | 99 | 99 | 50% | 66 | |
| 4º | Aeromexico | 33 | 17 | 50 | 22% | 41 |
| 5º | flyDubai | 44 | 3 | 47 | 62% | 29 |
| 6º | Alaska Airlines | 43 | 43 | 115% | 20 | |
| 7º | American Airlines | 42 | 42 | 0% | 42 | |
| 8º | Air Canada | 40 | 40 | 11% | 36 | |
| 9º | Gol Linhas Aéreas | 38 | 38 | 23% | 31 | |
| 10º | Tui Group | 37 | 37 | 19% | 31 |
The biggest customer of the 737 MAX outside the US is Ryanair, whose group is also close to arriving with 100 planes, thanks to the addition of 33 units in the last 12 months.
China, however, contrasts with the West, as the airlines that had ordered the plane from Boeing kept their fleets out of use for a long time and did not return to receive more units.
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Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
