Boeing 737 MAX 9

Boeing · United States · first flew 2017 · airliner

The 737 MAX 9 is the stretched high-capacity MAX variant, seating up to 178 passengers, competing directly with the A321neo on medium-range routes.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Longer fuselage than MAX 8 at 42.2 m — same stretched body as the NG -900ER
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Longer fuselage than MAX 8 at 42.2 m — same stretched body as the NG -900ER
LEAP-1B engines with large flat-bottomed nacelles and chevron exhaust rings
Split-tip AT winglets identical to MAX 8 but fuselage window count clearly higher

Longer than the MAX 8 by 2.7 m with more cabin windows; both variants share the identical split-tip AT winglets and large LEAP nacelles, making fuselage length the key differentiator.

Specifications

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 has a length of 42.2 m (138 ft).
It has a wingspan of 35.9 m (118 ft).
Its maximum speed is 839 km/h (521 mph).
Typical crew: 2 flight crew.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Lion Air launched the MAX 9 in March 2018, followed by United Airlines. The type was grounded with the rest of the MAX family from March 2019 to November 2020 following the MCAS-related accidents. A pressurisation plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 in January 2024 prompted a brief re-inspection grounding.

Variants

The MAX 9 shares the -900ER fuselage length; the MAX 10 adds a further stretch.

Where you'll see it

Operated by United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Lion Air and others; production is ongoing.

Related aircraft

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