Boeing restarts B737 MAX deliveries

Boeing (BOE, Chicago O’Hare) has resumed B737 MAX deliveries for the first time since the type’s global grounding in March 2019. United Airlines (UA, Chicago O’Hare) was the first operator to take delivery of B737-9 N27519 (msn 43459) on December 8, but the aircraft remained at Seattle Boeing Field until December 14, when it was ferried to Houston Intc’l. United also took another B737-9, N27515 (msn 43452), the day after. This unit remains parked at Seattle Tacoma Int’l. United Airlines has yet to confirm its timeline for the restart of B737 MAX commercial operations although it has indicated that it would tentatively happen during the first quarter of 2021. American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) was the first to take B737-8s with N323SG (msn 44474) and N318SF (msn 44473), both on dry lease from DAE Capital, delivered on December 10 and December 14, respectively. Both are parked at Tulsa Int’l for the time being. American Airlines has plans to resume B737 MAX commercial flights on December 29, 2020. GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes (G3, Sao Paulo Congonhas) is so far the only airline to have restarted B737 MAX operations. Aeroméxico (AM, México City Int’l) has signalled it will resume MAX 8 operations on December 21. According to the ch-aviation fleets history module, Boeing delivered 349 B737 MAX 8s, twenty-nine B737 MAX 9s, and no B737-7s or B737-10s before the global grounding of the family. United Airlines is the world’s largest operator of the MAX 9 with 16 units in its fleet, including the two recently delivered jets. At the same time, American Airlines is the world’s second-largest operator of the MAX 8 variant, with 26 aircraft (including two new deliveries). Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field) took thirty-four MAX 8s before the grounding.