FAA Clears The 737 MAX To Fly

Today, the Federal Aviation Administration cleared the way for airlines to resume 737 MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10 service. All US carriers must update their flight crew and maintenance trainings before the airliners return to service. Many delivered and undelivered 737 MAXs have been in storage for the past 18 months following the two fatal accidents. In the US, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines currently have MAX variants. Alaska Airlines has MAX9s on order.

The European Union and Canadian aviation safety agencies are next up to re-certify the 737 MAX.

Boeing will also remove the MAX name from the 737, and each variant will be known as the 737-7, 737-8, 737-9, and 737-10.

Further information in this FAA news release, Boeing Mediaroom release, and Airways Magazine report.

VietJet Air Orders 100 More 737 MAXs

In a ceremony with US President Donald J Trump present, VietJet Air [VJ/VJC] announced that they will order 100 737 MAXs, which breaks down to 20 MAX 8s and 80 MAX 10s. This order is on top of a previous order of 100 737 MAXs that VietJet placed in May 2016, and now brings their order book to 200.

It's not known when the deliveries of the second order will begin, nor which delivery route these MAXs will take to get from BFI to SGN [Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam]. VietJet's initial order is set to begin this year.

Further information in this Boeing Mediaroom press release.

Lion Air to Buy 50 737 MAX 10s

Lion Air and Boeing announced that the Indonesian airline group will purchase 50 737 MAX 10s, to go along with their other outstanding 737 MAX orders for the MAX 8 and MAX 9. It hasn't been determined which the group's airlines will get the MAX 10s first.

Further information in this Boeing Airplanes press release.

Xiamen Air Orders 30 737 MAXs

CH-Aviation reports that Xiamen Air has placed an order with Boeing for 30 737 MAXs. The order consists of 20 737 MAX 8s and ten 737 MAX 10s, with the first delivery set for 2019.

Boeing Announces 737 MAX 10 Orders

During the Paris Air Show, Boeing announced a number of 737 MAX 10 orders, along with other 737 MAX orders. The following orders should stop through Hawai‘i on their delivery flights. 

Lion Group: 50 MAX 10s

Ruili Airlines: 20 MAX 8s

Xiamen Air: 10 MAX 10s

Donghai Airlines: 10 MAX 10s

Malaysia Airlines: 10 MAX 10s

Okay Airways: 8 MAX 10s, 7 MAX 8s

Of course, this does not cover any MAX 10s that will be leased to carriers that deliver through Hawai‘i.