Airline Is North American Launch Customer
Aero-News learned Thursday that Continental Airlines will
be the first carrier in the Americas -- and the first two-class
carrier -- to operate Boeing's newest and largest-capacity member
of the Next-Generation 737 family, the -900ER.
Continental converted orders for 12 Next-Generation 737s to the
new 737-900ER model. Boeing will deliver Continental's first
737-900ER in 2008. Last month, Continental Airlines ordered an
undisclosed mix of 24 Next-Generation 737s along with 10 787
Dreamliners.
"The 737-900ER will support Continental's growth with the
excellent economics, reliability and range of the Next-Generation
737 family and provide greater capacity than the 737-800," said Ray
Conner, vice president, Sales, the Americas, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes. "The 737-900ER will provide these important enhancements
on routes up to 3,200 nautical miles."
Boeing says the 737-900ER will have substantial economic
advantages over competing models, including nine percent lower
operating costs per trip and seven percent lower operating costs
per seat than the rival Airbus A321 -- which, Boeing notes, is also
more than 10,000 pounds heavier.
"The superior economics of the
737-900ER build upon the substantial benefits of the 737
Next-Generation family," said Larry Kellner, Continental's chairman
and CEO. "The flight crew, maintenance and spare parts commonality
this aircraft shares with the rest of the Next-Generation 737
family will help enable us to fly this aircraft at one of the
lowest operating costs in our fleet."
Aerodynamic and structural design changes to the 737-900ER
include: strengthened wings, a two-position tailskid and
enhancements to the leading and trailing-edge flap systems, which
provide the 737-900ER higher takeoff weight capability and
increased range than the base model.
Continental's 737-900ERs will further benefit from optional
Blended Winglets, which reduce fuel consumption and engine thrust
requirements -- resulting in reduced engine wear and tear, lower
takeoff noise and lower fuel emissions.
Launched in July 2005, the 737-900ER joins the 737-600, -700 and
-800 airplanes and will share the same industry-leading reliability
of the other Next-Generation 737 series models. The Next-Generation
737s are 10 years newer and fly higher, faster and farther than
competing models. To date, 99 customers have placed orders for more
than 3,300 Next-Generation 737s.