United to debut first 737 Max in June

United will introduce its new Boeing 737 Max 9 on domestic routes from Houston Intercontinental and Los Angeles International airports in June. The aircraft will enter service from the Chicago-based carrier's Houston hub to Anchorage, Austin, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and San Diego on 7 June. Service will expand to Los Angeles, Sacramento and Tampa on 29 June. United will also introduce the 737-9 on flights between its Los Angeles hub and Honolulu on 29 June. "The addition of the Max 9 furthers our efforts to become a more efficient and productive airline," said CFO Andrew Levy. "It has better fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs and does all of this while maximising customer comfort." The airline will configure its 737-9s with 179 seats, the same density as its 737-900ERs. United will take delivery of 10 737-9s in 2018, with its first six due in April and May, a securities filing earlier in February shows. United will be the first US operator of the Max 9. However, American Airlines and Southwest both introduced the Max 8 in 2017.<br/>