The very first Boeing 737 MAX 8 for TUI Fly Belgium, OO-MAX, has emerged from the paint shop on Monday 22 January 2018 wearing a full TUI livery and also made two new test flights.
Boeing 737 MAX 8 OO-MAX was spotted by local aviation photographers on Monday for the very first time wearing a full TUI livery. Earlier photos of OO-MAX from December 2017 still depicted the aircraft wearing a basic primer livery and a painted rudder (see our previous report).
The first @TUIGroup @BoeingAirplanes 737 Max 8 has finally emerged painted. #ThinkMax #Boeing @AeroimagesChris pic.twitter.com/DSiWWJQGWM
— Brandon Farris (@brandonsblog) January 22, 2018
The aircraft also made two new test flights on Monday morning (local time). First, the aircraft flew from Boeing Field (BFI) in Seattle to Moses Lake (MWH) as test flight BOE851. Total flight time of this test flight was 1 hour and 41 minutes. Test pilots took OO-MAX up to FL410.
After a short time on the ground at Moses Lake, the aircraft took off again from the airport as test flight BOE851 and flew back to Boeing Field, where it landed after a short flight of just 35 minutes.
Today’s test flights also marked a historic moment for the TUI Group, as it was the very first time that a TUI pilot was at the controls of a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Test flying TUI’s first Boeing 737MAX N1786B, future OO-MAX #TUIife #Boeing #Boeing737MAX
— Frederic Smet (@SmetFrederic) January 22, 2018
The aircraft is expected to land at Brussels Airport on Tuesday 30 January 2018, where it will be officially inaugurated by TUI fly Belgium.
22 January 2018
Photos: copyright (c) TUI / Flightradar24.com / Twitter
Note: featured image is a 3D imagery, not an actual photo of the TUI fly Belgium B737 MAX 8