Summary
- The Boeing 737 MAX 10, designed to compete with the A321neo, is eagerly awaited by carriers around the world.
- Despite doubts about its impact on the market, some airlines are excited about the aircraft’s additional capacity.
- United Airlines has a significant order for the MAX 10, while Ryanair has already placed a massive order and revealed the configuration for their jets.
The story of the Boeing 737 MAX 10, the largest variant in Boeing’s popular 737 MAX family, is only just beginning. Designed to provide more capacity than the MAX 9 and to compete with the A321neo, the aircraft is still yet to enter the skies for commercial airlines.
Nonetheless, widespread excitement over the jet remains, and many carriers anxiously await its arrival and subsequent entry into service. We take a deeper look at the 737 MAX 10’s order book and explore which carriers are hotly anticipating adding the type to their fleets.
A brief overview
While the complete list of individual 737 MAX 10 orders remains unconfirmed as airlines continue to adjust orders for different variants of the plane, Boeing revealed in July 2023 that roughly 19% of its 737 MAX backlog consists of orders for the MAX 10, as shared by Leeham News. That would account for just over 800 planes, with airlines from all over the world opting for the type.
Photo: Boeing
There are many who doubt whether the 737 MAX 10 will have a major impact on the market, as it only features a modest stretch of 66 inches, allowing for just 12 to 18 additional seats. As reported by Reuters, the CEO of Aercap, a major aircraft lessor, was so uncertain about the jet’s success that he said the MAX 10 and the MAX 9 would “cannibalize each other.”
Nonetheless, some carriers are looking forward to taking advantage of the aircraft’s additional capacity. Many of these airlines are major operators of the other 737 MAX variants, and few (although there are some exceptions) are awaiting the MAX 10 to debut the latest 737 series as a whole.
United Airlines’ massive order
One of the carriers most anxiously awaiting the 737 MAX 10 is US legacy airline and long-time Boeing 737 operator United Airlines. This carrier has both aging 737 aircraft preparing for retirement and ancient 757-200 jets set to be replaced by the largest MAX variant.
Photo: Boeing
Overall, United maintains orders for 407 MAX aircraft, with the specific breakdown by variant remaining unconfirmed. The latest order for the MAX, placed in 2021, indicated at least 150 MAX 10s would arrive in United’s fleet. Furthermore, they will be equipped with a 188-seat configuration for domestic flights and an international lie-flat business class offering to effectively replace the carrier’s long-haul 757-200 configurations.
Ryanair’s first MAX jets
Ryanair is one airline that has revealed a specific breakdown for the largest variant. The European ultra-low-cost carrier announced an absolutely massive order for the jet earlier this year, placing fixed orders for 150 jets with options for up to 150 more.
Photo: Ryanair
The carrier already has over 70 737 MAX 8 aircraft in service. When the MAX 10 enters service with Ryanair, the carrier has indicated that it will be equipped with a 228-seat all-economy configuration.
What about the others?
Beyond United and Ryanair, there are many other carriers anxiously awaiting the jet. Notably, Turkish low-cost airline SunExpress and Alaska Airlines have both ordered the plane.