Summary
- Airlines are utilizing the long-haul capabilities of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with several carriers operating long-range flights.
- TUI fly Nordic operates the longest flight from Helsinki to Cape Verde, covering nearly 4,000 miles.
- Other airlines are taking advantage of the 737 MAX’s increased range with flights to destinations such as Orlando, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and Reykjavík.
Airlines around the world have not hesitated to put their Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to their full potential. Powered by newer, more efficient efficient engines, Boeing’s latest generation of its best-selling narrowbody commercial airplane is known for its advanced technology and long range.
Capable of performing so-called “long-haul” flights, the 737 MAX 8 (the most popular variant of the MAX family) has a range of just over 4,000 miles (6,437 km). The aircraft type and its slightly larger sister variant, the MAX 9, have been scheduled to fly routes well over 3,000 miles (4,828 km) this month, contributing to the world’s longest 737 MAX flights.
Just short of eight hours
According to data from Cirium, eight airlines worldwide are flying the longest routes this month. Sweden-based charter airline TUI fly Nordic, comes in as number one with a flight having a distance of 3,864 miles (6,218 km). The service has number 6B647 and is operated by the MAX 8. With an average duration of seven hours and 45 minutes, it originates at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and flies to Aristides Pereira International Airport in Cape Verde on the island of Boa Vista. As a seasonal offering, the service will see just one flight for the month of November. Other frequencies have operated on Saturdays, originating from Stockholm Arlanda Airport.
Photo: Lukas Wunderlich | Shutterstock
The airline’s other lengthy 737 MAX routes in November include:
|
Airline |
Route |
Aircraft |
Flights (between each destination for November 2023) |
Average Distance |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
TUI fly Nordic |
Helsinki, Finland – Sal Island, Cape Verde |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
4 |
3,827 miles (8,158 km) |
|
|
TUI fly Nordic |
Stockholm, Sweden – Sal Island, Cape Verde |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
22 |
3,598 miles (5,790 km) |
|
|
TUI fly Nordic |
Goteborg, Sweden – Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
1 |
3,392 miles (5,458 km) |
|
Across South America, Australia, and Asia
Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes operates service between its hub at Brasília–President Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport and Orlando International Airport. Flight G3 7602, operated by a 737 MAX 8, lasts around seven hours and 45 minutes on average, crossing over an average distance of 3,778 miles (6,080 km). Between the two cities, there are a total of 34 frequencies in November. Flights appear to be offered three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
The airline also operates long-distance flights to South Florida:
|
Airline |
Route |
Aircraft |
Flights (between each destination this month) |
Average Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GOL Airlines |
Brasilia, Brazil – Miami, Florida |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
34 |
3,598 miles (5,790 km) |
|
GOL Airlines |
Fortaleza, Brazil – Miami, Florida |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
8 |
3,458 miles (5,565 km) |
Ultra-low-cost airline Arajet flies the MAX 8 from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The flight, the third-longest for the 737 MAX, covers an average distance of 3,734 miles (6,009 km) over a duration of around seven hours and 50 minutes. Between both destinations, the airline is offering 15 flights this month.
Photo: Daniel Martínez Garbuno | Simple Flying
Arajet also has 26 flights scheduled between Santo Domingo and Santiago, Chile. The route is 3,564 miles (5,735 km) and takes an average of seven hours.
Virgin Australia is flying 30 flights each way between Cairns, Australia, and Tokyo, Japan (Haneda). With an average flight duration of seven hours and 30 minutes, the route covers 3,627 miles (5,837 km). Virgin inaugurated the service earlier this year following the delivery of its first 737 MAX 8.
Remaining flights
Other long-range 737 MAX flights taking place in November 2023 are operated by Icelandair, Batik Air Malaysia, Smartwings, Copa Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.
|
Airline |
Route |
Aircraft |
Flights (between each destination this month) |
Average Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Icelandair |
Reykjavík, Iceland – Denver, Colorado |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
49 |
3,568 miles (5,742 km) |
|
Icelandair |
Reykjavík, Iceland – Vancouver, Canada |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
32 |
3,544 miles (5,703 km) |
|
Icelandair |
Reykjavík, Iceland – Orlando, Florida |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
24 |
3,534 miles (5,687 km) |
|
Batik Air Malaysia |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Adelaide, Australia |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
20 |
3,524 miles (5,671 km) |
|
Batik Air Malaysia |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Tokyo, Japan (Narita) |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
35 |
3,357 miles (5,402 km) |
|
Smartwings |
Sal Island, Cape Verde – Warsaw, Poland |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
16 |
3,414 miles (5,494 km) |
|
Copa Airlines |
Panama City, Panama – Montevideo, Uruguay |
Boeing 737 MAX 9 |
180 |
3,384 miles (5,446 km) |
|
Turkish Airlines |
Istanbul, Türkiye – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
52 |
3,377 miles (5,434 km) |
With advancing technologies and increasing efficiencies, narrowbody families like the 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo are clearly being pushed to their operational limits to offer lower-capacity, long-range services.
What’s the longest 737 MAX flight you’ve been on? Share your experiences by leaving a comment!
Source: Cirium