Randy's Journal: Archives
19 July 2005
More passengers, more range, no more X
You may have heard talk about the proposed 737-900X. Well, it's talk no longer, and it has a new designation: Boeing 737-900ER (Extended Range).
Back in May, Lion Air, the Indonesian low-cost carrier, said it intended to purchase up to 60 737s, including the 737-900X. Yesterday, with a firm order for 30 of the newly-named 737-900ERs, and purchase rights for 30 more, Lion Air and Boeing launched the latest member of the Next-Generation 737 family.
So, let's talk about what's new about the 737-900ER. First, the -900ER allows airlines to carry more passengers and fly farther. That means more seats and more range than any other single-aisle jet in its class. It has lower operating costs than the A321, for example.
Lion Air is the launch customer for the 737-900ER.
Now, the -900ER is actually the same size as today's 737-900, but with some important differences. The 737-900ER has two additional exit doors and has a flat rear pressure bulkhead. These features allow for 26 additional passengers, raising the capacity from 189 to a maximum of 215 in a single-class layout. And for those airlines that are single-class operators, being able to use all the real estate on the airplane means more revenue.
Several improvements to the wings and flap systems and optional Blended Winglets and auxiliary fuel tanks allow the 737-900ER to have a range of 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km). So, for dual-class operators, while they weren't going past 189 passengers, they now have an extra amount of range.
As you probably know by now, I tend to get excited about improvements to our product line.
But this launch is also kind of a big deal for me because I was the head of 737 / 757 marketing in the early 1990s. This was back when we first developed the market requirements for the 737X, which became the Next-Generation 737.
I was very much involved in the launch of the 737NG in 1993. So, there's a personal connection for me in seeing these latest innovations become reality. This is the world's best-selling commercial airplane, and it just keeps getting better.