Boeing’s new 737 MAX 7 successfully completed its first flight earlier.
The plane remains on schedule and now begins a comprehensive flight test program leading to certification and delivery in 2019.
“Everything we saw during today’s flight shows that the MAX 7 is performing exactly as designed,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
“I know our airline customers are going to enjoy the capabilities this plane will bring to their fleets.”
Piloted by Boeing test and evaluation captains Jim Webb and Keith Otsuka, the plane completed a successful three-hour flight after taking off from Renton Field, Washington.
It later landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field.
The plane was put through tests on its flight controls, as well as checks of its systems and handling qualities.
The plane is the third and newest member of Boeing’s 737 MAX family to be produced, with a maximum capacity of 172 passengers.
The MAX 7 has a range of 3,850 nautical miles, the longest of any MAX family plane.
It is designed for exceptional performance for airline customers flying out of airports at high altitudes and hot climates.
The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling plane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 4,300 orders from 93 customers worldwide.