Aircraft/Boeing
Is the Boeing 737 MAX 9 safe?
In short: the Boeing 737 MAX 9 has no fatal accidents and no hull losses on record. Here is the full picture, with the underlying numbers.
Informational only. Not safety, operational, or travel advice. These are estimates from public records, provided as-is; see our terms & disclaimer.
0.10
modelled fatal rate / million flights
1.8M
flights flown since 2018
0 / 0
fatal accidents / hull losses on record
The rate is the model's shrinkage-adjusted estimate, the same figure used in a flight's score, not a raw count ÷ flights ratio. See the methodology.
Specifications
What the record shows
The MAX 9 has no fatal accidents and no hull losses. The MAX 8 had two fatal crashes, in 2018 and 2019, caused by a flawed MCAS flight-control function. The MAX 9 entered service in March 2018 with that same original MCAS and flew with it for about a year until the worldwide grounding of March 2019; the redesigned system, which uses both angle-of-attack sensors and activates only once per event, was mandated for the MAX 8 and MAX 9 alike before either returned to service from November 2020. A January 2024 door-plug blowout on a MAX 9, with no fatalities, prompted fleet-wide inspections and stronger oversight of Boeing's production quality. Today's MAX 9 flies with all post-grounding fixes, added FAA scrutiny and mandatory pilot training on the redesigned system.
Engine programme: CFM LEAP-1B, no systemic engine ADs. The MAX's 2018-19 accidents were flight-control (MCAS), not engine-related.
Accidents on record
2018: Crashed into sea 13 min after takeoff
Java Sea · 189 fatalities
2019: Crashed 6 min after takeoff
Addis Ababa · 157 fatalities
2024: Door plug blew out at 16,000ft creating hole in fuselage
Portland
Who flies the Boeing 737 MAX 9, and how old theirs are
Counted from individual airframes in our registry, with build years from public registries and sourced references. An age appears only where we can date at least three of that airline's Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft; otherwise we say so rather than estimate.
The oldest Boeing 737 MAX 9 we can date in an airline fleet was built in 2018, about 8 years ago. The oldest airframes of a type reach every inspection milestone first. How planes are checked
| Airline | In our registry | Average age |
|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 90 | 4.2 yrs |
| Alaska Airlines | 66 | 3.5 yrs |
| AeroMexico | 18 | 3.8 yrs |
| Copa Airlines | 10 | 7.5 yrs |
| Turkish Airlines | 1 | not enough dated |
| American Airlines | 1 | not enough dated |