Boeing 737 Max 9

Boeing formally announced the 737 MAX 9 variant on 13 March 2012, positioning it as the higher-capacity option in the MAX family, intended to replace the 737-900ER and compete with denser Airbus A321neo configurations. The MAX 9 rolled out on 7 March 2017 and made its first flight on 13 April 2017 from Renton Municipal Airport, landing at Boeing Field after a flight of roughly two hours 42 minutes; it was subsequently presented at the 2017 Paris Air Show.

The FAA certified the 737 MAX 9 in February 2018, roughly eleven months after the lead MAX 8 variant. Lion Air Group was the launch customer, having placed an order for 201 aircraft in February 2012, and took delivery of the first MAX 9 on 21 March 2018, which entered service with Thai Lion Air. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines became early North American operators shortly after.

The MAX 9, along with the rest of the 737 MAX family, was grounded worldwide from March 2019 to November 2020 following two fatal MAX 8 accidents — Lion Air Flight 610 (October 2018) and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (March 2019) — both linked to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Boeing redesigned MCAS to draw on both angle-of-attack sensors, limited it to a single activation per event, and added clearer cockpit indications before the type was cleared to fly again. More recently, the MAX 9 specifically was grounded again, briefly, in January 2024 following the Alaska Airlines door-plug incident described above, returning to service later that month once FAA-approved inspections were completed fleet-wide.

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 retains the standard 737 fuselage cross-section, seating six-abreast (3-3) in economy, consistent with other 737 variants. Because each airline designs its own cabin, seating totals vary. Typical two-class seating capacity is generally cited around 178 to 193 passengers, with published maximum single-class capacity reaching 220 at the highest-density operators (Lion Air, SCAT Airlines).

The dimensions and weights below reflect standard 737 MAX 9 production data.

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 is powered exclusively by the CFM International LEAP-1B, typically the higher-thrust LEAP-1B27 or LEAP-1B28 ratings to suit its higher maximum takeoff weight.

In-seat amenities vary by operator. Some carriers’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleets feature the Sky Interior cabin with redesigned seating, ambient lighting, laptop/phone power outlets and in-flight entertainment, while Wi-Fi provision is not universal. As with any in-production type, cabin standards can differ between an airline’s earliest and most recently delivered MAX 9 airframes.

Boeing assembles the 737 MAX 9 at its Renton, Washington facility.

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 is flown by a smaller, more concentrated group of operators than the mid-size MAX 8, reflecting its role as a higher-capacity, medium-haul option.

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 has a specific, well-documented safety event attached to its history.

Notable safety events specific to the Boeing 737 MAX 9 include: