A Boeing 737 MAX 8, now apparently being called a 737-8
Photo by: Boeing
US aerospace group Boeing on Thursday announced a new order for its troubled 737 MAX single-aisle airliner. The type is currently still grounded after two fatal accidents in late 2018 and early 2019 killed a total of 346 people. Flight control software developed specifically for the MAX, known as the manoeuvring characteristics augmentation system (MCAS), was implicated in both crashes. The US Federal Aviation Administration is currently reviewing a proposed solution to the MCAS problem.
Nevertheless, Polish charter operator Enter Air has ordered two 737 MAX 8s, and has taken options for two more. Strikingly, in its press release, Boeing does not refer to the aircraft as 737 MAX 8s but calls them 737-8s. The manufacturer also has a 737-800 model, which is part of the highly-successful new generation (NG) 737 family which preceded the MAX generation models.
Enter Air had already received two 737 MAXs and has more on order, which cannot yet be delivered because of the type’s grounding. Boeing reported that, once the new order is fully implemented, the Polish operator will have 10 MAXs. It also operates 22 NG-family 737s.
“Despite the current crisis, it is important to think about the future,” stated Enter Air general director and board member Grzegorz Polaniecki. “To that end, we have agreed to order additional 737-8 aircraft. Following the rigorous checks that the 737 MAX is undergoing, I am convinced it will be the best aircraft in the world for many years to come.”
“We are humbled by Enter Air’s commitment to the Boeing 737 family,” said Boeing Commercial sales and marketing senior VP Ihssane Mounir. “Their order for additional 737-8s underscores their confidence in the airplane and the men and women of Boeing. We look forward to building on our decade-long partnership with Enter Air and working with the airline to safely return their full 737 fleet to commercial service.”
The two companies have also agreed a compensation settlement that covers the impact on the charter operator of the grounding of its 737 MAXs. “In the settlement with Boeing, we agreed to revise the delivery schedule for the previously-ordered airplanes in response to current market conditions,” reported Polaniecki. “The specific terms of the settlement are strictly confidential, but we are pleased with the way Boeing treated us as its customer.”