Just three days after the aircraft was cleared for commercial operations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United Airlines announced its initial routes for the carrier"™s newest single-aisle addition, the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The announcement comes after an exciting month for Boeing, first with the unveiling of the 737 MAX 7 aircraft two weeks ago and now with the issuance of an amended type rating for the 737 MAX 8 on Friday.
United Airlines has picked June 7 for the launch of its 737 MAX 9 operations from its hub at Houston"™s George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Texas. Nine destinations have been announced thus far for the 737 MAX 9 on a mix of short to medium range routes. The airline will begin serving the first five destinations on June 7, with the remaining five later in the month on June 29. United will receive 10 of the aircraft this year and will expand its route network as it receives more in upcoming years.
The first batch of destinations to be served by the new aircraft on June 7 will be Anchorage, Austin, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and San Diego from Houston. Then, the aircraft will be seen on routes from Houston to Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Tampa, as well as from Los Angeles to Honolulu, on June 29.
The Chicago-based airline touted the MAX"™s advanced technology and fuel efficiency from a financial standpoint, with United"™s Chief Financial Officer Andrew Levy stating, "The addition of the MAX 9 furthers our efforts to become a more efficient and productive airline. It has better fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs and does all of this while maximizing customer comfort»…
