Aerospace and defense giant Boeing Co. (BA) Wednesday announced that the first delivery of the 737 MAX 8 to launch customer Southwest Airlines will be in the third quarter instead of the originally scheduled fourth quarter. The 737 MAX team has worked to define the final configuration of the airplane including new LEAP-1B engines from CFM International, a redesigned tail cone and the Advanced Technology winglet. The necessary tests prove that the 737 MAX configuration will give customers a 13 percent fuel-burn improvement over today's most fuel efficient single-aisle airplanes.
"...We have informed our customers and they are pleased they will be able to put these more fuel-efficient airplanes in their fleets sooner than planned...," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager, Airplane Development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
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