Boeing Co.’s newest 737 jetliner gunned its engines and headed into rain-streaked skies Friday, with profit and pride riding on its wings.
The aerospace company’s fortunes depend on a smooth market debut for the 737 Max next year with initial customer Southwest Airlines Co.
The model took off at 9:46 a.m. outside Seattle, days ahead of schedule, a contrast to Boeing’s delay-plagued 787 Dreamliner.
Any missteps in the Max’s development could be costly to Boeing.
The Max already is Boeing’s all-time best seller, with 3,072 orders. It’s the latest model in the narrow-body family that is the planemaker’s largest source of profit, and arguably its most valuable asset.
The total backlog of unfilled 737 orders is valued at about $200 billion, according to Bloomberg Intelligence estimates.
