Good Boeing MAX news hiding in operational data |

There's been a lot of Boeing-bashing. Strategic-level criticism has its place, but operational performance may be overlooked. Let's start by saying that Boeing's MAXs are doing great work. This has not been missed by the Chinese airlines, which had to wait longest to begin retaking deliveries. This year's delivery rates show an acceleration in Chinese deliveries, helping Boeing clear the inventory buildup. Let's get to the data to show you what we mean by doing great. The charts and data we are sharing focus on single aisles. Between 40 and 45% of an airline's operating costs are for fuel. It is an uncontrollable cost that airlines monitor more than others. Take a look at fuel burn for the US Boeing fleet. The MAX improvement in fuel burn is good and comfortably exceeds CFM's target of 16%. [caption id="attachment_82053" align="aligncenter" width="580"] US DoT Form 41; AirInsight[/caption] Lower fuel burn has an additional benefit, as the following table illustrates: It translates to fewer emissions. This is a focus for the airline industry, aiming for Net Zero by 2050. [caption id="attachment_82055" align="aligncenter" width="401"] US DoT T-2; AirInsight[/caption] The MAX9 is the "greenest" aircraft in US airline service. The MAX8 is close, and both models benefit from being lighter than their competitors. It is also interesting to note the improvement between the 737 NG and MAXs. Skailark's independent data confirms the MAX's excellent fuel-burn performance. The key to the improved fuel burn is mainly due to the state-of-the-art engines. As the following chart shows, these engines brought much-improved fuel burn but also came with technical challenges. The Airbus fleet offered engine choices: the A320ceo family came with CFM or IAE, and the A320neo family came with CFM or P&W. The Boeings are all CFM powered. [caption id="attachment_82061" align="aligncenter" width="580"] US DoT Form 41; AirInsight[/caption] As a sidebar, here is the fuel burn reported to the US DoT as deployed on US airline A320neo family aircraft. [caption id="attachment_82064" align="aligncenter" width="311"] US DoT T-2; AirInsight[/caption] The difference is marginal and slightly impacted by Spirit Airlines' (GTF) poor reporting. We have notified the US DoT of this issue and look forward to a resolution. Back to engines. Next, look at engine maintenance costs for the Boeing fleet used by US airlines. Here, we show the main engine costs for the US single-aisle Boeing airline fleet. [caption id="attachment_82067" align="aligncenter" width="580"] US DoT Form 41; AirInsight[/caption] Differentiating between engines and aircraft is complex, and airlines don't always make consistent choices. For example, United has CFM on the 737 fleet and selected P&W for its A321neo fleet. On the other hand, Americans and Alaska utilize CFM on their Airbus and Boeing fleets. Here's what the data shows. [caption id="attachment_82068" align="aligncenter" width="287"] US DoT Form 41; AirInsight[/caption] The table shows the higher costs associated with the newer engines. They save fuel, but that benefit comes with a maintenance price. Overall, the fuel savings exceed the higher maintenance costs. Let's simplify the data into one chart. This chart only lists data for the MAX and NEO fleets deployed by US airlines and excludes the pandemic aberration. [caption id="attachment_82071" align="aligncenter" width="580"] US DoT Form 41; AirInsight[/caption] Despite all the Boeing bashing, whether reasonable or not, it does detract from the MAX's good operational performance. The MAX is fuel-efficient and serves airlines well. The MAX glitches are not from operational issues.

US Flight Planner - US DoT On-Time Data	Airbus vs Boeing - Official OEM Data
US Airline Schedule Performance - US DoT Data	Daily OEM Production & Deliveries -

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