Currently, the only members of Boeing’s 737 MAX family certified and in service are the MAX 8 and 9. The 7 and 10 are still in the certification process. However, in the near future (early 2024), Southwest Airlines is expecting to take delivery of the first of nearly 300 of the aircraft, with 400 of the MAX 8 series still on order.
This comes as the airline announced the addition of 108 more MAX 7 orders on October 26th.
The MAX 7 in Southwest’s Fleet
The MAX 7 is expected to fully replace Southwest’s aging fleet of B737-700s, with an average fleet age of 17.4 years. The MAX 8 will eventually replace the airline’s 737-800s, though less immediately.
The MAX 7 is much more fuel efficient than the B737-700s, reducing consumption by up to 18% (in ideal conditions) according to Boeing. For a massive operator like Southwest, this is a big deal, saving tens of millions of dollars annually, all while reducing emissions.
An added benefit is the range of the MAX 7, which is about 1,000nm more than the 737-700. The MAX 7s will be the longest range aircraft in Southwest’s fleet, with a range of 3,825nm, compared to the MAX 8’s 3,550.
I will continue to update this as deliveries begin
Kind of an off topic question, but how expensive is it to fly (lets say from like Lihue to Kahului) on Hawaiian? it seems like a pretty short flight but im curious as to how much it is
It’s going to be fun watching these prices fluctuate when Southwest gets their Max 7s and Hawaiian replaces their 717s with something that will also compete with the Max 7 (if Hawaiian goes with the Max 7s, than the competition for island hopping is going to benefit you quite a bit)
I disagree with the ugly part, however, I honestly think it offers more for Hawaiian than the E2. If Hawaiian ever wanted to fly to other islands besides their own, the A220 has the range to do so. Also, Airbus is looking into putting CFM engines on the A220 since the P&W are having issues which could further prove to be a better investment than the E2. We’ll just have to see what Hawaiian decides to do
They will. Was on a flight last week out of Denver and got stuck talking to the captain of our flight. He was saying they’re already looking at flying the MAX7 from Denver to the Islands. the 7 is capable of doing it as its lighter and can go higher than if a MAX8 were to do the trip.
