Boeing launches new 737 aircraft to increase passengers’ capacity

Boeing airplanes manufacturer has concluded plans to launch a new version of its 737 MAX 7 aircraft, aimed at surviving competition from other plane makers like Airbus and Bombardier.
The move, according a report, came amid latest Delta Airlines’ interest in Bombardier’s C-series and Airbus’ A320neo series.
Although Boeing is in the initial planning phase, the new model, which is meant to be slightly larger than the smallest of 737 MAX family, was called 737 MAX 7X.

The newly planned model will have and increased capacity and is ought to carry 150 passengers – a modest increase from MAX 7, which is able to seat 126 people. The airliner would also have an extended range because of MAX-8 wings and auxiliary fuel tanks, stated Boeing.
The representatives of Boeing said the product is yet to be proved viable. However, the Southwest Airlines, who has already ordered MAX 7 planes, expressed their support to the MAX 7X model, saying it would consider the newly proposed plane.
However, experts warn that if MAX 7X will be a shortened version of 737 MAX 8, it would add extra weight which might prove inefficient in terms of additional fuel consumption.
On the other hand, if MAX 8 would serve as a base for its future ‘mini-me’, the production might become cheaper due to economies of scale, they added.
Meanwhile, Boeing has announced that 737MAX has successfully completed its first flight lasting around three hours. The 737 MAX program achieved the milestone on schedule which begins a comprehensive flight-test program leading to certification and delivery.
The Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer, Boeing, Ray Conner said: “First flight of the 737 MAX carries us across the threshold of a new century of innovation – one driven by the same passion and ingenuity that have made this company great for 100 years.
“We are tremendously proud to begin testing an airplane that will deliver unprecedented fuel efficiency in the single-aisle market for our customers,” Conner said.
During the flight, 737 MAX Chief Pilot Ed Wilson and Boeing Chief Test Pilot and Vice President of Flight Operations Craig Bomben departed to the north, reaching a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) and airspeed of 250 knots, or about 288 miles (463 kilometers) per hour typical of a first flight sequence.