FAA certifies high-density Boeing 737 Max for Ryanair

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The Federal Aviation Administration granted certification on Wednesday for Boeing’s 737 Max 8200, a 200-seat model designed for ultra-low-cost carriers to maximize seats on the single-aisle airliner.

The certification of the large capacity Max is a first post-grounding test of the relationship between the FAA, Boeing and European regulators in this new era of intense control of passenger aircraft models. The -8200 will be Boeing’s largest capacity aircraft per square foot of cabin.

The FAA said in a statement confirming the certification that “the 737-8200 incorporated all of the design enhancements that were part of the 20-month review of the 737 MAX, including those related to the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system ( MCAS). ” The FAA re-authorized the 737 Max for service in November, and the jet officially resumed flying passengers in December.

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Dimensionally identical to the recently licensed 737-8, the model (the Eighty-two Cent as it’s known inside Boeing) adds a pair of Mid-Exit (MED) doors to increase the maximum seating capacity. seating of the 200 passenger jet. With a 28-inch pitch configuration between the seats, this will increase the seats by 189 seats in the previous Max 8 and 737-800.

The 737-8200 adds a new pair of mid-exit doors to the rear of the passenger cabin to accommodate up to 200 passengers.

While much of the forward-looking attention to certification has been focused on the effect of an amplified regulatory review on the 777X and its certification slippage through the end of 2023, the first aircraft Boeing to go under the microscope for new regulatory clearances in the US and Europe is the next new high-density 737 Max derivative.

The next step for the 737-8200 is certification by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the obvious critical step that makes delivery to Dublin-based Ryanair possible. Boeing has built more than 30 to 8,200 planes for the airline and its new Poland-based Malta Air and Buzz (formerly Ryanair Sun) sub-brands.

EASA approved the return to service of the Max on January 27, paving the way for the aircraft to once again carry passengers to the mainland.

Designed specifically for Ryanair, the Irish airline will put 197 people on each -8,200. Aircraft certification is extremely important to both Boeing and the low cost airline.

Read: DC-10 grounding lessons pave way for 737 Max’s return

Ryanair’s Dec. 3 order for 75 additional aircraft represented the first major firm commitment to the 737 Max since its grounding in March 2019. The airline now has 210 Boeing jets on order, which will be delivered over a four-year period until ‘in December 2024.

When placing a first order for the -8200 in September 2014, Ryanair Managing Director Michael O’Leary said The Wall Street Journal that its initial contract for up to 200 aircraft would be delivered over a 10-year period until 2029.

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The airline is taking advantage of the available production slots as it seeks to quickly seize market share from its struggling competitors in Europe. This acceleration provides the aircraft maker with a more solid foundation on which to solidify growing production and generate much-needed cash in 2021 and beyond. It also builds on additional orders from Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines for the Max.

When the Max variant was launched in 2014, Boeing touted the -8200 as 5% more efficient per seat than the Max 8, while adding just under 1% to the aircraft’s travel costs.

Write to Jon Ostrower at [email protected]

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