RENTON — The Boeing Co.’s newest jetliner — the 737 MAX 9 — is scheduled to roll out of the company’s Renton plant Tuesday.
The airplane’s unveiling puts it on pace for first flight in April. It is expected to enter service with airlines in 2018.
The MAX 9 is a nearly 7-foot stretch of the MAX 8, which first flew in January 2016. All 737 MAX versions are powered with new CFM International Leap-1B engines.
Boeing is expected to deliver the first MAX 8 to launch customer Norwegian in April or May. Norwegian has ordered 108 737 MAX 8s, which has garnered the vast majority of the 3,600 737 MAX orders so far.
Customers have placed about 220 orders for the MAX 9. So far, Airbus’ competing A321neo has proven far more popular in the marketplace.
Boeing is reportedly talking with airlines about stretching the MAX 9 even more into a MAX 10.
Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.
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