Boeing 737MAX-8 to replace 737-800...

Japan Airlines has chosen the Boeing 737MAX-8. The "737-8", as stated in the release, will allow JAL to strengthen its domestic and regional network as passenger traffic continues to return to pre-pandemic levels. JAL intends to start introducing the aircraft into its fleet from 2026. "The Boeing 737-8, a member of the latest 737 MAX family, will replace our Boeing 737-800s, which make up the majority of the JAL Group's fleet," said Yuji Akasaka, president of Japan Airlines.

...Across its short-haul network

The 737 MAX will provide JAL with greater range and fuel efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 15 percent compared to the aircraft the airline is replacing. In addition, the 737 MAX is a quieter aircraft, with a significantly smaller noise footprint than the aircraft it is replacing. "The integration of the new 737 MAX will enable JAL to gain efficiencies across its short-haul network as the airline continues to modernize its world-class fleet," said Stan Deal, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Partnering with JAL to introduce the 737-8 into its operations is the latest step in our long-standing relationship."

An aircraft reauthorised to fly

The 737MAX-8 is the same aircraft that caused two air disasters - Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines - that resulted in the death of more than 300 passengers and crew, followed by a lengthy grounding of the aircraft, all of which was interspersed with a media storm that challenged both Boeing and the FAA. Not to mention a number of upheavals both at the Seattle-based aircraft manufacturer and within the US Civil Aviation Administration. The echo of these accidents was later felt in the certification process of the MAX-7 and -10.  The fact remains that the Boeing MAX is a "bestseller", with more than 50 airlines worldwide operating more than 900 737 MAX jets, which have flown more than 1.4 million revenue flights totalling more than 3.5 million flight hours since the end of 2020.