Alaska Airlines today became the fourth operator of the Boeing 737 MAX in the USA – as it took delivery of first of the type for its fleet.
The airline has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft – A Boeing 737-9 MAX. The airlines first 737-9 is scheduled to enter passenger service on 1st March 2020, with daily roundtrip flights between Seattle and San Diego, and Seattle and Los Angeles.
The airline’s second 737-9 is expected to enter service later in March.
Alaska Airlines is making great plays about the safety aspects into bringing the 737-9 into passenger service. According to the airline, the process – involving rigorous rounds of test flying, verifying and specific preparations – will take five weeks:
- Maintenance technicians will undergo training to become even more acquainted with the new aircraft. They will receive at least 40 hours of “differences training,” which distinguishes the variations between the new MAX and the airline’s existing 737 NG fleet. Certain technicians will receive up to 40 additional hours of specialized training focused on the plane’s engines and avionics systems.
- Alaska’s pilots will put the 737-9 through its paces, flying it more than 50 flight hours and roughly 19,000 miles around the country, including to Alaska and Hawaii. These “proving flights” are conducted to confirm our safety assessments and those of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and to ensure a full understanding of the plane’s capabilities in different climates and terrain.
- Alaska’s pilots will receive eight hours of MAX-specific, computer-based training prior to flying the aircraft over the course of two days, which includes at least two hours of training in Alaska’s own certified, state-of-the-art MAX flight simulator. That’s where they fly several manoeuvrers specific to the aircraft and better understand the improvements that have been made to the plane.
Squadron service introduction
The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX fleet will number 68 in total with the airline’s current plans – due to be delivered over the next four years. These are split into 55 orders, with 13 leased aircraft and order options for an additional 52 aircraft.
Current delivery plans call for:
- 13 aircraft in 2021
- 30 aircraft in 2022
- 13 aircraft in 2023
- 12 aircraft in 2024
The Boeing 737 MAX 9s will replace most of the existing Airbus A320 fleet, with Alaska Airlines retaining 10 Airbus A321neo.
In Quotes
Alaska Airlines President Ben Minicucci said
“We’ve eagerly waited for this day. It was a proud moment to board our newest 737 aircraft and fly it home,”
“This plane is a significant part of our future. We believe in it, we believe in Boeing and we believe in our employees who will spend the next five weeks in training to ensure we’re ready to safely fly our guests.”
John Ladner, an Alaska 737 captain and vice president of flight operations said
“Our pilots are the best trained in the industry. With the 737-9, we’re going above and beyond with our training program, even more than what the FAA is requesting,”
“We have high confidence in this aircraft. It’s a tremendous addition to our fleet, and we’re ready to start flying it in March.”
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