Boeing 737 MAX 9

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 is the stretched 737 MAX that sits between the MAX 8 and the MAX 10. It seats up to 220 passengers, three more rows than the MAX 8, according to Boeing.

It is best known for Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, the flight on which a door plug blew out at 14,830 feet in January 2024. The jet landed safely, and the NTSB traced the failure to missing bolts at Boeing’s factory. The 737 MAX 9 is still in production, and it flies every day with Alaska, United, Copa and others.

Boeing 737 MAX 9 status (October 2026)

As of October 7, 2026, the 737 MAX 9 is certified, in production and carrying passengers. The January 2024 grounding lasted about three weeks.

Production is rising again, though the numbers cover the whole 737 program, not the MAX 9 alone. The FAA refused any production expansion in January 2024, then lifted the cap from 38 to 42 jets a month in October 2025. Boeing’s June 2026 quarterly filing says the program began moving from 42 to 47 a month in the first half of 2026, with the FAA’s concurrence, and started low-rate production on a new 737 line in July 2026.

One new FAA rule does touch the MAX 9. Airworthiness Directive 2026-15-11 covers the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200 after cracks were reported in the bear strap, a structural reinforcement, at the forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout.

The FAA estimates it affects 471 U.S.-registered airplanes. The final rule was published on August 6, 2026 and took effect 35 days later, on September 10. It orders inspections and repairs on a schedule, and it does not ground the jets.

The FAA says the inspection intervals are set so that any crack is found and repaired before it reaches a critical length. It adds that Boeing is changing its manufacturing process to address the cause on airplanes still being built.

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282: what happened to the 737 MAX 9

On January 5, 2024, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 left Portland, Oregon, for Ontario, California, on a 737-9 that was about two months old. Roughly six minutes after takeoff, at 14,830 feet, the left mid exit door plug separated from the fuselage and the cabin depressurized.

The crew returned to Portland and landed safely. No one was killed, and the investigation then turned to how a panel held on by bolts could leave a nearly new airplane.

The MAX 9 has room for a pair of mid exit doors behind the wing. Airlines that do not need those extra exits, including Alaska and United, close the openings with a door plug instead.

Not every airline does it that way. Copa Airlines flew eight of its jets with the extra doors installed but deactivated, according to AirData News.

The NTSB’s final report, released on June 24, 2025, found that four bolts needed to secure the plug were missing. Boeing personnel had opened the plug at the Renton factory on September 18, 2023, to repair rivets, without the required documentation. The specialized technicians were absent when the plug was closed the next day, so no quality inspection caught it.

The NTSB blamed “Boeing’s failure to provide adequate training, guidance and oversight” to factory workers. It also found weaknesses in the FAA’s oversight of Boeing, and it said the plug moved upward over earlier flights until it came free.

The grounding, the production cap and the return to service

On January 6, 2024, the FAA grounded 171 737-9 aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory. On January 24, it approved an inspection and maintenance process for each plane, after reviewing data from 40 inspections, and told Boeing it would not grant any production expansion of the MAX.

Alaska and United both found loose bolts in the door plugs of some of their jets during the checks. The first inspected MAX 9 returned to revenue service on January 26, 2024, when Alaska flight 1146 flew from Seattle to San Diego.

The FAA’s six-week audit, finished in March 2024, found non-compliance in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control. Boeing then had to submit a corrective action plan, which it did in May 2024. The FAA says it continues to issue an airworthiness certificate for every newly built MAX.

How the 737 MAX 9 was developed

Boeing rolled out the first 737 MAX 9 at Renton, Washington, on March 7, 2017. It first flew on April 13, 2017, taking off from Renton Field and landing 2 hours 42 minutes later at Boeing Field.

The FAA issued an amended type certificate on February 16, 2018. Boeing handed over the first MAX 9 on March 21, 2018, to the Lion Air Group, the launch customer, and it entered service with Thai Lion Air.

The MAX 9 uses CFM LEAP-1B engines and Boeing’s Advanced Technology winglets, and it succeeds the Boeing 737-900ER. In June 2017, the FAA and EASA approved the LEAP-1B on the 737 MAX for 180-minute ETOPS, the rule set that governs how far a twin-engine jet may fly from a suitable airport.

The type was barely a year old when the two fatal MAX 8 accidents of 2018 and 2019 led to the worldwide grounding of the MAX from March 2019 to November 2020. That story is told in our feature on the Boeing 737 MAX crisis.

A business jet version, the BBJ MAX 9, shares the airframe and appears alongside the airliner in Boeing’s planning documents.

Seating layout and the best seats on a 737 MAX 9

Boeing lists the 737-9 for a maximum of 220 passengers in a single class. Its airport planning document draws a typical two-class layout of 193 seats: 16 business seats at a 36-inch pitch and 177 economy seats at a 29 to 30-inch pitch. Boeing’s product page gives 175 to 195 seats in a typical two-class cabin.

The cabin is the six-abreast 737 cross-section, 11 ft 7 in (3.54 m) wide inside. Airlines fit far fewer seats than the maximum.

Alaska Airlines fits 178 seats: 16 in First Class in rows 1 to 4, 42 in Premium Class in rows 6 to 10, and 120 in the Main Cabin. Its exit rows are 16 and 17.

United fits 179 seats in two layouts. Both have 20 United First seats in a 2-2 arrangement in rows 1 to 5. One has 45 Economy Plus and 114 Economy seats, and the other has 48 and 111.

United’s exit rows are 20 and 21, and row 20 does not recline. United’s published specifications list zero recline at rows 15 and 39, the last row, as well. For more on how seats differ, see our guide to types of airplane seats.

Which seat is best depends on the airline, because each one lays out the jet differently. Check the carrier’s own seat map for your flight before relying on a generic one.

Range, speed and runway: explaining the numbers

The full specification table for the 737 MAX 9 is on this page. A few of its figures need context, because sources quote different ones.

Range is the most inconsistent. Boeing’s product page gives up to 3,300 nm (3,800 mi, 6,110 km) today, but Boeing quoted 3,515 nmi at first flight in 2017 and 3,550 nmi at certification in 2018. Alaska Airlines lists 3,250 nm for its own jets, and Doc8643 gives 3,500.

The jet carries 6,800 gal (25,800 L) of fuel, the same usable fuel Boeing lists for every MAX variant. The extra seats do not come with extra tankage, so the longer the fuselage, the more passengers share the same fuel.

Boeing offers the 737-9 at three maximum takeoff weights, and this page’s figure is the heaviest. EUROCONTROL’s published takeoff distance is 8,550 ft (2,600 m). Its landing distance is 5,600 ft (1,700 m).

The engines explain the thrust figure. The panel lists the top rating, 2 × 29,317 lbf (130 kN), which EASA’s type certificate gives for the LEAP-1B28 family. Lower-weight 737-9s use the LEAP-1B27, which has a lower rating.

Boeing’s airport planning drawing gives the jet’s length as 138 ft 2 in (42.11 m), and Alaska Airlines uses the same figure.

737 MAX 9 vs MAX 8 and MAX 10

Boeing’s airport planning document lists the 737 MAX 8 for up to 189 passengers in one class, against 220 on the MAX 9. The 737 MAX 10 is longer still, at up to 230.

The MAX 9’s natural rival is the Airbus A321neo. Boeing’s pitch is that airlines get that capacity on a type their pilots and mechanics already know from the 737.

Who flies the 737 MAX 9, and what it costs

Alaska Airlines and United are the two largest operators. Alaska’s June 30, 2026 filing shows 80 737-9s in the Alaska Air Group mainline fleet, with no change planned through 2028.

United’s filing for the same date lists 63 MAX 9s still on firm order, with 40 deliveries expected in the last six months of 2026 and 23 in 2027.

At the time of the January 2024 grounding, 217 737-9s were registered worldwide. After United (79) and Alaska (65), the largest fleets were Copa (29), Aeromexico (19), Turkish Airlines (5) and SCAT (5), with smaller fleets at Icelandair, flydubai, Lion Air, Corendon and Air Tanzania.

The last list price Boeing published for the MAX 9 was $128.9 million. Airlines pay far less than list after negotiation.

Is the 737 MAX 9 safe to fly?

The two fatal 737 MAX accidents, Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019, both involved the MAX 8. No MAX 9 has been in a fatal accident.

Flight 1282 was a serious accident, and the NTSB’s cause was Boeing’s factory process, not anything the crew did. The FAA grounded the affected jets, approved an inspection process and kept the production cap in place for almost two years.

The current crack-inspection directive requires repeated checks and repairs, and it does not ground the fleet. Both it and the door plug story point at manufacturing quality, which is where the FAA says it is concentrating its oversight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 737 MAX 9 safe to fly now?

The FAA lets it fly, and it still issues an airworthiness certificate for every new MAX. The January 2024 door plug accident ended in an NTSB finding about Boeing’s factory process, and a 2026 FAA directive requires repeated crack inspections near the forward galley door but does not ground the jets.

Is the 737 MAX 9 a good plane?

Airlines keep buying it. Alaska flies 80 and United still has 63 on firm order, because it offers up to 220 seats on a 737 their crews already know. The trade-off is that it carries the same usable fuel as every other MAX, so the extra seats do not come with extra tankage.

What are the best seats on a Boeing 737 MAX 9?

It depends on the airline. On Alaska, the exit rows are 16 and 17, and Premium Class fills rows 6 to 10. On United, the exit rows are 20 and 21, and row 20 does not recline.

What is the seating layout of a Boeing 737-9 MAX?

All 737 MAXs are six abreast in economy, with three seats on each side of the aisle. Alaska has 178 seats (16 First, 42 Premium, 120 Main Cabin), and United has 179 (20 First, then Economy Plus and Economy). Boeing’s own planning layout for the type has 193 two-class seats.

How many passengers does the 737 MAX 9 hold?

Up to 220 in a single-class layout, the maximum Boeing certifies. Airlines typically fit between about 175 and 195 seats in two classes.

What happened on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282?

On January 5, 2024, the left mid exit door plug blew out of a nearly new 737-9 at 14,830 feet, six minutes after takeoff from Portland. The crew landed safely. The NTSB found that four retaining bolts had never been reinstalled after factory repair work.

What is a door plug?

It is a panel that fills the opening of a mid exit door on airlines that do not need the extra exits. It looks like part of the cabin wall from inside, and it is held in place by bolts.

Has a 737 MAX 9 ever crashed?

No MAX 9 has been in a fatal accident. The two fatal MAX crashes involved the MAX 8, and the 2024 Alaska 1282 accident caused no deaths.

Can the 737 MAX 9 fly over water?

Within limits. The FAA and EASA approved the LEAP-1B on the 737 MAX for 180-minute ETOPS in June 2017. Boeing’s published range for the MAX 9 is up to 3,300 nm (3,800 mi, 6,110 km), and the real limit on any route depends on payload and winds.

How much does a 737 MAX 9 cost?

The last list price Boeing published was $128.9 million. Airlines negotiate large discounts from list.

Which airlines fly the 737 MAX 9?

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines are the largest operators, followed by Copa, Aeromexico, Turkish Airlines and SCAT as of January 2024. Smaller fleets fly with Icelandair, flydubai, Lion Air, Corendon and Air Tanzania.

What is the difference between the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9?

The MAX 9 is longer, with three more rows of seats. Boeing certifies it for up to 220 passengers in one class, against 189 for the MAX 8.