Sunwing welcomes the MAX

There’s nothing like that new airplane smell, especially when you get to fly it home from the factory.

The excitement was palpable at Boeing Field in Seattle, Wash., on May 25, when about 40 Sunwing Airlines employees were on hand for the official delivery of the operator’s first 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

The first of six MAX 8s scheduled for delivery by the end of 2019, the new aircraft represents a real opportunity for Sunwing, which currently flies a fleet of 18 737NG aircraft that is supplemented in the busy winter vacation season by approximately 22 leased jets.

New CFM LEAP-1B engines, advanced technology winglets and other aerodynamic improvements combine to make the MAX 14 per cent more fuel efficient than the older NG models currently operated by Sunwing.

That means the airline can now fly its longest flights–Western Canada to the Eastern Caribbean, for example–with a full load of 189 passengers. While the NG models also have a 189-seat capacity, it has been standard practice on those longer routes to fly lighter, with some empty seats, in order to achieve greater range.

Sunwing president Mark Williams said the airline’s calculations clearly show the advantages of the MAX 8’s increased range.

“Last winter, we had around 28,000 seats we flew empty because of the load restriction on the airplane. If we had 100 per cent MAX 8s, that number would be 2,300. So it will allow us to fly more efficiently on the long routes, as well as open up new markets we couldn’t do at all.”

As an example, he said flights from Vancouver to Panama or Costa Rica would now be possible.

The new MAX 8s will be replacing older NG models and Sunwing intends to keep its year-round fleet at 18 aircraft for the time being.

With its first MAX 8 factored into the equation, the airline’s average fleet age is just 6.8 years. That number will go down even more at the end of May, when the second 737 MAX 8 is scheduled to join the fleet. (Four more will arrive by the end of 2019, with Williams expecting to take advantage of nine more available options by 2024.)

“Sunwing has always gone with new aircraft, because we like to fly them a lot,” he said. “You want to have more dispatch reliability with the plane, so new is better.”

FLYING THE MAX

For pilots, transitioning to the MAX 8 from the NG is a simple affair. With a common type rating, flight crew attend a one-day groundschool and then they are good to go.

“Boeing has built commonality into it intentionally,” said Piyush Gandhi, Sunwing’s vice-president of flight operations. “They have kept the similarities, but implemented advanced technology. They’ve taken a cue from the 787 [Dreamliner] with four new cockpit displays, but they have blended it in and common procedures are identical. For example, you run the same routine for emergencies as you do on the NG; switches are in the same place.”

For maintainers, the transition is not as simple. The new engines–which feature carbon fibre fan blades with a titanium leading edge and chevrons at the rear of the engine casing–necessitate a 2.5-week course that familiarizes technicians with the new powerplants.

“There’s a lot more technology, a lot of which can help diagnose issues and troubleshoot the airplane,” explained Williams. “A lot of the data is downloadable during flight, so people in the ops centre will know exactly what they need to do to the airplane when it lands.”

Those new engines are 40 per cent quieter than the NG, said Doug Alder of Boeing’s communications department in Renton, Wash.

Along with a quieter ride, passengers will also benefit from new comfortable slimline seats, Boeing’s Sky Interior with customizable LED lighting, and USB ports at every seat. Twenty-four “extra legroom” seats are also available.

Williams said Sunwing opted not to install Wi-Fi in the aircraft for now, based on the assumption that most passengers prefer to bring along their own personal devices for entertainment. However, he said the airline will re-evaluate that decision once the aircraft has been in service for a while.

BRINGING HOME THE MAX

Sunwing’s first MAX 8 was flown home to Toronto from Seattle by Capt Ron Henry, who has been with the airline since 2005.

He was accompanied by First Officer Jessalyn Teed, who was hired seven months ago through Sunwing’s cadet program, which offers direct-entry jobs to the top aviation graduates from the University of Waterloo and Seneca College.

Gandhi said the program has been successful and noted that Sunwing is now looking to expand its reach to include schools such as Calgary’s Mount Royal University.

Sunwing’s new MAX 8 was scheduled to begin revenue service on May 26, the day after arriving at its new home base in Toronto. The first four MAX 8s are being obtained through a deal negotiated with Air Lease Corporation.

 

Boeing 737 MAX 8 production video from MHM Media on Vimeo.