How to tell if you are flying on a Boeing 737 Max 8
In less than 6 months, a second brand-new Boeing 737 Max 8 has crashed shortly after take-off. The jet belonged to Ethiopian Airlines and was flying from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.
The circumstances surrounding this crash immediately brings to mind the Lion Air crash in October last year. It too reported problems shortly after take-off, tried to return to the airport but plunged into a rapid descent, leaving no survivors.
The 737 Max series of planes became the fastest-selling plane for Boeing when it was launched in 2017, with more than 5,000 aircraft sold to date. However, only a few hundred aircraft have been delivered so far.
While it is too early to tell if the cause of both crashes were caused by an inherent flaw in the design of the Max 8, I thought it would be helpful to come up with this guide to inform travelers who might be anxious about their upcoming flights, so that they can have the information they need to make a decision about whether they feel safe to continue with their travel plans.
The Boeing 737 Family
The 737 family actually consists of the original 737, the 737 Classic, the 737 Next Generation (NG) and the 737 Max.
As the Boeing 737 has been flying in one form or another since 1967, it is important to note the differences between the variants as this aircraft remains one of the most popular commercial aircraft in the world.
2 Distinct Features of the 737 Max
Split-tip winglet
One of the most distinctive features of the 737 Max series is the split-tip winglet. It is a new type of wingtip device developed by Boeing that is a three-way hybrid between a winglet, a wingtip fence, and a raked wingtip.
However, some 737NGs have a similar winglet called the Split Scimitar Winglets retrofitted on their wingtips as well. They look slightly different from the winglets on the 737 Max so some careful observation should reveal which type of winglet it is.
Engine Nacelles
The engine nacelles on the 737 Max series feature chevrons to help with noise reduction.
Another jet which has chevrons on its engine is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. However, it is quite easy to tell the 2 aircraft apart as the 787 is a much larger widebody aircraft with 2 aisles, while the 737 is a narrowbody single-aisle aircraft. The 787 also features a raked wingtip (swept-back wingtips) rather than the split-tip.
The above 2 most distinctive features of the 737 Max should help you identify whether you are flying on the 737 Max series aircraft. Knowing which airlines fly the 737 Max might also help you narrow down your chances of flying on them.
(Updated 12/03/19 1630 UTC: Many airlines and countries have temporarily banned the 737 Max. The remaining operators are in bold.)
Operators in North America:
- American Airlines
- Air Canada
- Southwest Airlines
- Sunwing Airlines
- United Airlines
- WestJet
Operators in Latin America and the Caribbean:
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aeroméxico
- Cayman Airways
- GOL Transportes Aéreos
Operators in China:
- 9 Air
- Air China
- China Eastern Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- Fuzhou Airlines
- Hainan Airlines
- Kunming Airlines
- Lucky Air
- Okay Airways
- Shandong Airlines
- Shanghai Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Xiamen Airlines
Operators in Asia:
- Corendon Airlines
- Eastar Jet
- flydubai
- Garuda Indonesia
- Jet Airways
- Lion Air
- MIAT — Mongolian Airlines
- Oman Air
- Royal Air Maroc
- S7 — Siberia Airlines
- SCAT Airlines
- SilkAir
- SpiceJet
- Turkish Airlines
Operators in Europe:
- Air Italy
- Enter Air
- Icelandair
- LOT — Polish Airlines
- Norwegian Air International
- Norwegian Air Shuttle
- Norwegian Air Sweden
- Ryanair
- Smartwings
- TUI Airlines Belgium
- TUI Airlines Netherlands
- TUI Airways
- TUIfly Nordic
Operators in Africa:
- Comair
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Mauritania Airlines International
Operators in Oceania:
- Fiji Airways
Most airlines actually allow you to check the type of aircraft for a flight while you are booking the flight on their website. You can also check the type of plane that is typically used for your flight using websites like Flightradar24 and SeatGuru.
