WICHITA, Kan., Jan. 29, 2016 /CNW/ -- Spirit AeroSystems
Inc. [NYSE: SPR] and Boeing celebrated the first flight of the 737
MAX 8 — the first member of Boeing's efficient 737 MAX family —
today when it took to the skies from Renton
Field near Boeing's 737 Final Assembly plant in Renton, Washington. Spirit AeroSystems
produces the 737 MAX fuselage, pylon, thrust reverser and engine
nacelle at its Wichita, Kansas,
facility and the wing leading edges at its Tulsa, Oklahoma, facility.
"We're proud to celebrate this first flight milestone with
Boeing," said Spirit President and CEO Larry Lawson. "Spirit has delivered over 8,000
737s since they entered service and we look forward to continuing
the 737 legacy through this newest variant 737 MAX."
The 737 MAX, powered by CFM International's LEAP-1B engines,
will deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger
comfort in the single-aisle market with 20 percent lower fuel use
than the first Next-Generation 737s and 8 percent per seat lower
operating costs than its nearest competitor. Spirit is responsible
for delivering about 70 percent of the 737 structure to Boeing.
The 737 MAX 8 is the first member in Boeing's new family of
single-aisle airplanes — the 737 MAX 7, MAX 8, MAX 200 and MAX 9 —
to begin flight testing. The 737 MAX will extend the
Next-Generation 737 range advantage with the capability to fly more
than 3,500 nautical miles (6,510 kilometers), an increase of 340 to
570 nautical miles (629 to 1,055 kilometers). The 737 MAX family
has 3,072 orders from 62 customers worldwide.
Delivery of the first 737 MAX is scheduled for the third quarter
of 2017.
On the web: www.spiritaero.com
On Twitter: @SpiritAero
About Spirit AeroSystems Inc.
Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world's largest independent
producers of large aerostructures. Its core products include
fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components. Spirit has
long-term agreements in place with its largest customers, Boeing
and Airbus. Other customers include Bombardier, Rolls Royce,
Mitsubishi, Sikorsky and Bell Helicopter. Based in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates facilities in
the U.S., U.K., France and
Malaysia. Spirit also provides
aftermarket customer support, including MRO, spare parts, and
engineering services in North
America, Europe and
Asia.
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SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Inc.