Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Delta Air Lines announced Monday that it ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, ending months of talk and speculation that the Atlanta-based carrier would add the planes to its fleet.
The 737 MAX line gained global infamy in 2019 when the FAA ordered the airliners grounded following a pair of fatal crashes. The MAXes were deemed airworthy in 2020 following several modifications.
Delta said in a statement the MAX 10s are 20%-30% more fuel efficient than the aircraft the airline is retiring. The 737-10 is also the largest bird in the MAX fleet.
The aircraft will feature 182 seats. Twenty (20) will be First Class (I wonder if they’ll be the new seats Delta offers in the A321neo?) There will be 33 Comfort+ seats and Main Cabin will host the remaining 129.
You can expect “The Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, in-flight entertainment and power ports in every seat, high-speed satellite Wi-Fi throughout the aircraft.”
So When Will Delta Start Flying the 737-10?
You don’t need clear your calendar quite yet for the Delta 737 MAX 10 inaugural flight.
The FAA hasn’t even blessed the 737-10 with final certification. That’ll come sometime next year. After that, Boeing won’t start delivering the MAX 10s until 2025.
So, we have a while.
“In the event of a delay, the agreement has adequate protection in place,” Delta said, “including allowing Delta to shift to another model of the MAX family if necessary.”
Delta’s 737 fleet will eventually be 300 strong. (Look out, Southwest! 🙂 ) They also have the option to order 30 more of the MAXes.
Are You Excited to Ride in the MAX 10? Or Nervous? Or Yes?
I think the phrase “737 MAX” triggers anxiety in some travelers. The two 2019 crashes are forever linked to the MAX brand — at least for a few people.
That said, hundreds of 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 flights operate every day without incident. “Big Ern,” a Southwest pilot I follow on YouTube, really seems to enjoy flying the MAX 8. Here’s one video he made during his first flight in a 7M8 and another from a couple of months ago. If airlines and flight crews thought the planes were unsafe, I don’t think they’d be flying them.
But what do you think? Are you eager to fly a Delta 737 MAX 10? Or will you go out of your way to avoid it? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section!
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I bet Delta negotiated those MAX 10s with Boeing for a song, and as noted, the contract will provide plenty of clauses that protect Delta in case the MAX 10 does not receive FAA approval and/or is delayed in its delivery.
Boeing needs to dig itself out of a deep hole and will have to work hard to do so. Delta is undoubtedly putting the plane maker to the test, we’ll find out in a few years whether they passed.
One can only hope the seats on the Max 10 are more comfortable than the 737 900
It will be the same horrible aircraft, just longer. Worse, Delta’s crammed everything in there so tight it’s even hard to get into the loo.
I’m very eager to try this bird but maintain that the real answer for Delta will be a true successor to the 757-300. Who knows when/if that may come to pass. As for the 737-MAX-10, FAA certification is not the only impediment. Boeing needs congressional action just as Airbus received from France and Germany. The CEO’s CNBC interview from yesterday in which he discusses this issue is available for free at http://cnbc.com/video/2022/07/18/boeing-ceo-on-supply-chain-disruptions-engine-constraints-will-last-about-18-months.html
I still won’t fly a 737 Max. (and I do check the aircraft type when booking). I don’t even like the 737-900s they have.