Boeing’s 737 MAX completes first flight

The fourth iteration of Boeing’s 737, the 737 MAX, has completed its first flight, marking the commencement of a four-aircraft flight test campaign.

The first 737 MAX development aircraft, 737 MAX 8 N8701Q Spirit of Renton, took off from Boeing’s Renton, Washington State site (where all 737s are built) at 9:46am local time on January 29 with 737 MAX chief pilot Ed Wilson and Boeing chief test pilot and vice president of flight operations Craig Bomben at the controls. It landed at Boeing Field, Seattle 2 hours 47 minutes later, after reaching an altitude of 25,000ft and an airspeed of 250kt.