Boeing and American Airlines have completed the first landing gear exchange for a 737 MAX in Plano, Texas, extending Boeing’s Landing Gear Exchange Program to the MAX family. The swap used overhauled, Boeing-certified main and nose landing gear assemblies supplied ready to install, alongside installation kits, while wheels, tyres and brakes were excluded.
The programme is designed to cut aircraft ground time and reduce the spare-parts inventory burden for operators. Under the model, the airline installs the exchange gear and returns the used assemblies to Boeing for overhaul within its maintenance network.
Boeing’s landing gear exchange service has long been used on other aircraft types, and the move adds the 737 MAX to that support offer. The arrangement gives operators access to fully serviced gear without having to manage the overhaul process in-house, while Boeing keeps the serviced parts in its exchange pool for future use.