The first of 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8s to be delivered to American Airlines was unveiled last Monday at Boeing's paint hangar.
The aircraft (MSN 44459) is the first of four that American Airlines plans to take delivery between the end of the year. Starting in 2018, Boeing is expected to deliver 20 aircraft per year to the company until its order is completed.
The aircraft is scheduled to enter service on the Miami to New York-LaGuardia route on November 29. As already reported in August, the airline plans to base its first 737 MAX 8 in Miami and use them to open new markets and improve efficiency in existing ones.
American will be the second operator of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in the US, following Southwest Airlines, which will debut its first MAX on October 1.
The 737 MAX family includes several new features, including new Leap-1B engines, split-tip winglets, 787 cockpit displays and a redesigned tail cone. Boeing touts the 737 MAX as "designed to deliver the greatest flexibility, reliability and efficiency in the narrowbody aircraft market." That's why the MAX has so far accumulated more than 3800 orders from around 90 different customers worldwide, making it the best-selling airplane in Boeing's 101-year history.
See the gallery with images of the new aircraft:
The airline is expected to take delivery of the first 737 MAX 8 later this month.
