Jet Airways invited a select group of people to their hanger in Mumbai on 28th June 2018 for an exclusive preview of the MAX8. The celebrations were curtailed on account of the crash of a private aircraft in Mumbai, a few hours before the ceremony was to take place. The invitees included Media, bloggers, analysts and winners of the contest which the airline had conducted on social media channels. One of the winners – Dipalay, a noted photographer is co-authoring this post.
The hanger visit was organized to unveil their latest induction – the B737 MAX8, which also is India’s first aircraft with Spicejet also expecting this aircraft in the next few months. This induction will mark a new era for the B737s not only in Jet Airways fleet about also the Indian airspace. The MAX8 looks elegant with the split scimitar winglets, modified APU section towards the rear fuselage, upgraded cockpit and the new CFM LEAP engines. Together this ads to a saving of approximately 15% over the current B737NG aircraft.
The visit to the aircraft, still smelling mint fresh, was an eye opened on the future product of Jet Airways. It was also an indicator that the airline is moving towards BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) concept. The airline which currently has aircraft fitted with In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) which works only for international flights, has done away with the IFE completely. Instead, the new seats in both Business & Economy come fitted with device holders where personal devices like iPads and phones can be fixed with a USB charger next to it and you can stream over 300 hours of content which is available on the Jet Airways mobile application. The airline has been mum on Wi-Fi connectivity and understandably so due to the rising costs and unclear policies even after approval by the government.
As the MAX8 seats 174 passengers, there is an extra row which is numbered row 18 which is added in the economy cabin. The cabin which has standard Boeing Sky Interiors with mood lighting is done up in Ochre color. The business class seats come with in-built USB ports, portable electronic device holders, footrests and a charger. The economy class seats also have portable electronic device holders, USB ports and coat hooks.
With a spate of orders and inductions of the modern jets like the A320neo and B737MAX, Indian aviation sector is not only looking for comfort and efficiency of passengers but also working towards reducing the carbon footprint and helping us differentiate from other countries.
Taller than the B737 NG?
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Really a nice post along with a beautiful article and thanks to my bro #Dipalay for all the beautiful pics and a clear view which make me feel my presence with the team.