Allegiant Air is in possession of its first Boeing 737 Max aircraft after years of waiting. Until now, the low-cost airline has been known to exclusively use Airbus planes to fly passengers since 2018. 
 

Traveling To The Max

After months of manufacturing delays, Allegiant Air has added its first Boeing 737 Max to its fleet. Registered as "N811NV", the aircraft's first flight occurred Monday from Seattle, Washington to Mesa, Arizona.

This aircraft was one of 50 that the Las Vegas-based airline ordered all the way back in January 2022. The company paid around $5 billion for an equal number of 737 Max 7s and 737 Max 8-200s. The Max 7 is considered smaller than the Max 8.

The first delivery was initially slated for 2023, but manufacturing and delivery delays on Boeing's end pushed the delivery date back for close to a year. While Allegiant was expecting to receive 34 aircraft from Boeing by the end of 2024, multiple delays reduced this number to just four.

An Allegiant Air representative had these comments following the airline receiving its first new Boeing:

“We are thrilled to take delivery of our first 737-8-200 aircraft. The efficiency and operational reliability of this next-generation aircraft will bring numerous benefits to Allegiant and our customers. This new model is not only fuel-efficient, reducing our operational costs significantly, but it also offers an enhanced travel experience for our passengers...There are a few additional steps in the process of inducting it into the fleet, but we expect to have the aircraft in service, flying passengers to their destinations, in several weeks.”
 

Prior to 2018, Allegiant had a number of Boeing 757-200s in its fleet. This aircraft joined the fleet in 2012 so that the airline could manage to fly to Hawaii. However, after these 757s costed more money to maintain than was expected, Allegiant decided to retire these Boeings altogether and end routes to and from the Aloha State.

Allegiant's Boeing 737 Max aircraft is said to have 190 seats, with 21 of these seats branded as "Allegiant Extra" seats with adequate legroom.

Boeing's Delivery Woes

Boeing's internal delays have affected other airlines that are anticipating new 737 Max aircrafts. Like with Allegiant, Southwest Airlines originally ordered both Max 7s and Max 8s, but an agreement was reached to cancel the order of Max 7s in favor of additional Max 8 aircraft.

These delays have also affected Ryanair's profitable summer season. With the Irish airline receiving 30% fewer aircraft than expected, some flights had to be removed from its schedule. Ryanair Group CEO Michael O' Leary was reportedly "very disappointed" with the lack of deliveries, while also stating that the airline still has Boeing's "wholehearted support".

Boeing states that these delays in delivery are due to safety and regulatory checks.