Boeing has released pictures of the first 737 MAX undergoing final assembly on its new production line at the company’s Renton, Washington State, facility.
The first 737 MAX is due to be completed by the end of 2015, with first flight scheduled for early 2016, Boeing said in a statement on Tuesday (US time).
The MAX is being built on a dedicated production line at Boeing’s Renton factory.
“The opening of a brand new production line in Renton increases our flexibility and capacity, allowing this incredible team to continue to meet our customers’ need for the world’s most reliable single-aisle airplanes, well into the future,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president and general manager, 737 program and Renton site leader Scott Campbell said in a statement.
Southwest Airlines, the launch customer for the 737 MAX, was scheduled to take delivery its first MAX aircraft in the third quarter of 2017, Boeing said.
In this part of the world, Virgin Australia has ordered 40 737 MAX aircraft, with the first due to arrive in 2018.
Overall, Boeing said the 737 MAX family had so far secured 2,869 orders from 58 customers.
