Boeing 737 MAX 8

ICAO type code: B38M · Boeing · narrowbody airliner

737 MAX 8 at a glance

First flight

2016

Length

129 ft 8 in (39.5 m)

Wingspan

117 ft 10 in (35.9 m)

Engines

2 × CFM LEAP-1B turbofans

Seats

162–210

Cruise speed

~453 kt (521 mph) / Mach 0.79

Service ceiling

41,000 ft

Range

~3,500 nmi

How to recognize the 737 MAX 8

The MAX 8 is nearly the same length as a 737-800, so the giveaways are in the details: engines, wingtips and tail.

• Engines: the LEAP-1B fan is much larger than the old CFM56, so the nacelles look fat and are mounted further forward and higher. The intake is rounder, and the back edge of the nacelle has a scalloped, sawtooth chevron pattern that reduces noise. You can spot the chevrons from the ground on a low pass.
• Wingtips: the "Advanced Technology" winglet has a tall upper blade and a smaller lower blade forming a split tip. Older 737s with retrofit split scimitars look similar, so confirm with the engines.
• Tail cone: the rear end is reshaped into a longer, more tapered point than the blunt NG tail cone.
• Nose gear: extended by about 8 inches to give the bigger engines ground clearance, so the MAX sits slightly nose-high when parked.
• Sound: quieter on takeoff and approach than a 737-800; neighbors near airports often notice a softer, lower whoosh.
• Exits: two overwing exits per side, like the -800.

From cruise altitude, a MAX 8 and an A320neo look almost identical; your best tool is the type code in the live feed rather than your eyes.

Where and when you'll see it

Southwest (callsign SWA) has the largest US MAX 8 fleet, with American (AAL), United (UAL) and Alaska (ASA) also flying it; Air Canada and WestJet bring more into US airspace from the north. It flies the same domestic and near-international routes as the 737-800, including flights to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Cruise is generally FL350 to FL410, and approaches follow normal airliner profiles: about 3,000 ft roughly 9 to 10 miles from the runway on a 3-degree glideslope. On ADS-B it shows type code B38M. Some apps display it simply as "737 MAX 8" while older ones may mislabel it as a generic 737, so the four-character code is the reliable clue.

Because Southwest uses the MAX 8 interchangeably with its older 737-800s, the same route can show either type from one day to the next. Watch the type code rather than the flight number if you want to catch one.

Easily confused with

• Boeing 737-800: The 737-800 has smaller, flat-bottomed engines with smooth exhausts and a blunter tail cone.
• Airbus A320neo: The A320neo sits higher on its gear, has no engine chevrons and uses curved sharklet wingtips.
• Boeing 737 MAX 9: The MAX 9 is about 9 ft longer, with an extra exit (often plugged) behind the wing.

Quick facts

• The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide from March 2019 until late 2020 after two fatal crashes linked to its MCAS flight-control software.
• Its LEAP-1B fan is roughly 69 inches across, compared with about 61 inches for the 737-800's CFM56-7B.
• Boeing extended the nose landing gear by about 8 inches so the larger engines would clear the ground.

737 MAX 8 questions

Cities where it's a regular

Dallas–Fort Worth · Houston · Phoenix · Seattle · Tampa · San Diego · Denver · Baltimore · St. Louis · Orlando · San Antonio · Portland · Austin · Sacramento · Pittsburgh · Las Vegas · Kansas City · Columbus · Cleveland · Nashville · San Jose · Jacksonville · Providence · Raleigh · Milwaukee · Oklahoma City · Birmingham · Buffalo · Hartford · Honolulu

Spot one live

Open the live sky tool and look for B38M in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.