Boeing appears to have quietly dropped the “Max” with its 737 Max aircraft in the wake of recent air crashes, instead referring to a 737-8.
The new name has so far only been used internally by Boeing and came to the fore when the company issued a statement on Wednesday announcing that it had won its first order for the ground-based 737 Max aircraft this year. The Enter Air SA of Poland agreed to purchase a maximum of four variants of the jet.
Grzegorz Polaniecki, general manager at Enter Air, said in the statement: ‘Despite the current crisis, it is important to think about the future. To that end, we have agreed to order an additional 737-8 aircraft. After the rigorous controls that the 737 Max undergoes, I am convinced that it will be the best aircraft in the world for many years to come. “
The recertification of the 737 Max jet still hangs for more than a year in balance after its worldwide collapse due to two fatal accidents, in which nearly 350 people died – one in Indonesia (2018) and the other in Ethiopia (2019). The plight of the planemaker has been exacerbated by the crisis of coronavirus affecting air travel.
Boeing customers have canceled more than 400 orders for the 737 Max jets this year, the company said last week. Due to a tighter accounting standard, the 737 Max cancellations and conversions to other aircraft models now stand at 864.
The planner said on Wednesday that Enter Air had placed a new order for two 737-8 aircraft with options for two more jets. If the purchase contract is fully executed, Enter Air’s 737 Max fleet will increase to 10 aircraft, Boeing said.
S&P Global Ratings analyst Chris DeNicolo said: “While it is important because it is the first Max order since December 2019, it is a small order … [Enter Air] probably received a significant discount. ”
Enter Air said it had reached a deal with Boeing to address the impact of the 737 Max ground directions, and would delay deliveries of previously ordered Max aircraft to weak demand for air travel.
The carrier took deliveries of two 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and currently has four completed orders for the jet.
Boeing shares were up 1% at $ 171.60.
Reuters contributed to this report
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