Boeing 737 MAX 9 was officially launched at the beginning of March as a successor of MAX 8 which according to Boeing is “the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.” After the unveiling last month, the MAX 9 airliner had its first test flight on Thursday.
The Boeing 737 MAX airliner took off from Renton Field in Renton, Washington, with Captains Christine Walsh and Ed Wilson as the pilots. Taking off at 10:52 am local time, the plane remained in the air, flying over Puget Sound for the next two hours and 42 minutes to land at 1:34 pm at the Boeing Field in Seattle. During this time, tests were performed checking the flight controls, systems and handling qualities of the plane.
Boeing reports that the entire flight and the tests went fine. A series of other tests are to be performed before the plane is awarded certification.
MAX 9, has a range of 3,515 nautical miles (6,510 km) with a passenger capacity of 220. Boeing 737 MAX is the fastest selling craft in the company’s history, and the customer deliveries for the MAX 9 will begin next year.
Images: Boeing