The first Boeing 737 MAX delivery for a non-US customer since the type’s ungrounding is Copa Airlines. The Panamanian carrier, which is gearing up for MAX flights, added its seventh Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft on Tuesday. This plane is a significant part of the airline’s future fleet plans.
HP-9908CMP is the seventh 737 MAX aircraft to enter Copa’s fleet. The aircraft, which was sitting idle in Seattle for quite some time due to the global grounding, is now on its way to Panama, where the carrier will fly the aircraft near and far.
The aircraft departed Boeing Field (BFI) in Seattle in route to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO). According to Copa, the MAX 9 has a range of 3,000 nautical miles, and getting to Costa Rica is right at the edge of that.
The first non-US carrier to take the MAX
Thus far, Boeing has focused on delivering Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to US carriers. This started with United Airlines, then American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines came last. Alaska Airlines is the next US carrier expecting Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and it just significantly expanded its order book for the type.
