Boeing 737 MAX 7 Completes First Flight

The Boeing 737 MAX 7, the smallest member of the MAX family completed its first flight on Friday, the start of flight testing, with certification and delivery expected during 2019.

The three hour flight of the MAX 7 took off from Renton Field and landed at Boeing Field near Seattle. It performed “exactly as designed”, Boeing Commercial VP Keith Leverkuhn said, after the aircraft was put through flight control tests, system checks and handling qualities.

The MAX 7 is the third and smallest member of the MAX family to fly. It has a design capacity of 138 passengers in a two-class layout, or up to 172 in a single-class low cost airline configuration.

“The MAX 7 will provide airlines an efficient product for opening and flying thinner markets and accessing challenging airports," Boeing VP Randy Tinseth said.

The aircraft has been ordered by launch customer Southwest Airlines and Canada’s WestJet among others Boeing said.