The Most Seats That Airlines Can Fit On A Boeing 737 MAX Plane

The Boeing 737 MAX has been in service since 2017, as the latest upgrade in the long-running Boeing 737 series. Like the generations before it (and like the Airbus A320 family), it is offered in several different sized variants. This gives airlines the choice of what is best for their fleet and operations, with different passenger capacities, ranges, and operating costs.

There are four main variants of increasing size and passenger capacity - the 737 MAX 7, 737 MAX 8, 737 MAX 9, and 737 MAX 10. Each of these has a certified maximum passenger capacity, ranging from 172 up to 230. The smallest 737 MAX 7 and the largest 737 MAX 10 have not yet been certified or delivered to airlines.



This article looks at the two mid-sized variants, both of which have high-capacity single-class cabins that push capacity up. The 737 MAX 9 leads the way, with up to 220 passengers, whilst the 737 MAX 8 follows with up to 197 passengers on the modified high-density 737 MAX 8-200 variant. The Boeing 737 MAX Family Capacity The Boeing 737 MAX program was launched in 2011.

It aimed to compete with the Airbus A320neo family by offering a more fuel-efficient version of its already popular 737 Next Generation series. As the earlier Boeing 737 generations had done, this was simply built on the existing airframe to update the series. There are five Boeing 737 Max variants: the 737 MAX 7, 737 MAX 8, 737 MAX 8-200 (a derivative of the 737 MAX 8 with higher capacity), 737 MAX 9, and 737 MAX 10.

Boeing has yet to certify the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10. The Complete Guide To The Boeing 737 MAX Family As you would expect (and as with the previous Boeing 737 generations), these variants differ in passenger capacity. There are two elements here - a maximum capacity that is possible (and certified), and a typical two-class passenger capacity.

The first of these would, of course, only be achieved with a single class configuration. Boeing provides the following specifications for the 737 MAX: Variant Capacity (typical two-class) Maximum capacity Boeing 737 MAX 7 138-153 172 Boeing 737 MAX 8 162-178 210 Boeing 737 MAX 8 200 - 210 Boeing 737 MAX 9 178-193 220 Boeing 737 MAX 10 188-204 230 Up To 220 Seats On The Boeing 737 MAX 9 The largest current variant is the Boeing 737 MAX 9 , and this unsurprisingly, offers the highest passenger capacity. Although claimed by Boeing that it can offer a maximum capacity of 220, few airlines have gone that far.

Of course, to see the highest capacity we need to look at airlines that operate just a single economy cabin layout - most operators use a lower capacity two or three class layout. Indonesian low-cost carrier Lion Air is the only airline to operate the type with the certified maximum of 220 seats. It has three active aircraft (as of April 2025, with registrations PK-LRG, PK-LRH, and PK-LRI).

The seat pitch is a tight 29 inches. Corendon Dutch Airlines and Kazakhstan's SCAT Airlines also operate all-economy configurations with some of their 737 MAX 9 aircraft, but with slightly lower capacities of 219 and 213. For completeness, the following airlines all operate single-cabin configuration 737 MAX 9 aircraft (according to airline data from Planespotters.

net and seat plans from AeroLOPA ): Airline Number of 737 MAX 9 aircraft (single cabin) Seating capacity Lion Air 4 (three active, one parked) 220 Corendon Dutch Airlines 3 219 SCAT Airlines 5 213 There are obviously many more airlines operating the 737 MAX 9 in two-class and three-class configurations, with fewer than this number of seats. Icelandair has the densest two-class layout with 178 seats - 162 in economy class and 16 recliners in its business class cabin. Other notable operators include: flydubai - with 172 seats (16 in business class and 156 in economy class) Turkish Airlines - with 172 seats (16 in business class and 153 in economy class).

It is notable for offering seat pitch of 30-31 inches in economy. The largest operators of the type generally have three class configurations - including United Airlines, Copa Airlines, Aeroméxico, and Alaska Airlines. These layouts consist of standard economy, an intermediate economy section with extra legroom, and business/US domestic first class.

The densest here is Aeroméxico, with a capacity of 181, followed by United Airlines (179), Alaska Airlines (178), and Copa Airlines (174). A look at the densest one, two, and three-class configurations. The Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 Offers Up To 197 Seats The Boeing 737 MAX 8200 is the high-density version of the 737 MAX 8, developed to appeal to the low-cost market.

It was launched in September 2014. The variant was initially ordered by Ryanair - with aircraft currently assigned to Buzz, Malta Air, and Ryanair UK. The airline initially ordered 100 aircraft and has since taken more.

Other airlines have followed Ryanair with orders for this high-density version, including: Vietnam-based Vietjet Air became the second airline to order the 737 MAX 8-200 variant when they ordered 100 aircraft in 2016. Canadian charter airline Enerjet (since rebranded as Lynx Air, and then going bankrupt in 2024 ) ordered 21 MAX 8-200s in August 2018. Indian low-cost startup Akasa Air ordered 57 aircraft in November 2021.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air ordered 26 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft in January 2022 (along with 24 737 MAX 7 aircraft). Caribbean startup Arajet has ordered 20 aircraft. The additional seating capacity over the standard 737 MAX 8 is the key feature of the MAX 8-200.

It features slimline seating and a further set of over-wing exits to allow for extra passenger capacity, but still offers the same performance and range as the standard variant. Boeing marketed the aircraft as providing a 20% reduction in costs per seat compared to older-generation 737s, with 5% lower operating costs per seat than the standard 737 MAX 8 variants. Michael O'Leary, the chief executive officer of Ryanair Group, explained the importance of ordering at the time, saying: "These new "gamechanger" aircraft will allow Ryanair to lower our costs and airfares, while improving our customer experience with more leg room and the Boeing Sky Interior, as we roll out new offers, particularly for our Business Plus and Family Extra customers.

" Some haven't even heard of this unique variant. Of the several airlines that have ordered the 737 MAX 8-200, only three operate it. According to airline data from Planespotters.

net and seat plans from AeroLOPA , the airlines have the following: Airline Number of 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft (all single cabin) Seating capacity Ryanair 118 197 Allegiant Air 8 190 Akasa Air 4 197 No airline has reached the theoretical maximum seating of 210, nor the 200 that the variant naming suggests. Achieving high capacity already involves sacrificing galley and cart space. Going further would require restricting this or reducing the already cramped 28-inch seat pitch.

Capacity Will Go Further With The Boeing 737 MAX 10 Boeing launched the Boeing 737 MAX 10 at the 2017 Paris Air Show, having already received commitments from more than 10 airlines for over 240 aircraft. As the largest variant, it would compete well against Airbus' newest and largest Airbus A321neo. The variant was originally hoped to enter service in 2020, but there have been repeated delays.

In mid-2024 , it was hoped that certification for the MAX 10 and MAX 7 would happen in 2025, but this is now unlikely. Recent issues causing delays include the investigations of bird strike incidents causing smoke in the cockpit (which may require a permanent design fix) and issues in the anti-ice system. There are hopes for certification in 2026, but nothing is confirmed.

There have been plenty of orders for the type, with airlines keen to push capacity higher. The delays in certification though have caused some airlines to revise plans (this has been more significant for the smaller 737 MAX 7). United Airlines , for example, had big plans for the MAX 10, with 150 orders to replace its Boeing 757-200 aircraft.

CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC in 2024 that his airline was " building a plan that doesn't have the MAX 10 in it ." As of March 2025, there were 1,219 orders for the 737 MAX 10. As regards seating capacity, we will have to wait and see which airlines push up to the permitted maximum of 230.

Low-cost adopters such as Ryanair are, of course, likely to do this. Major airline orders include: Air India Express: 50 aircraft Akasa Air: 99 aircraft Alaska Airlines: 51 aircraft American Airlines: 115 aircraft Delta Air Lines: 100 aircraft Lion Air: 50 aircraft Pegasus Airlines: 100 aircraft Qatar Airways: 25 aircraft Ryanair: 150 aircraft United Airlines: 165 aircraft Competition with Airbus is a major factor here. The Airbus A321neo can carry up to 244 passengers in a high-density configuration.

This 737 MAX 10 will bring Boeing's narrowbodies closer to this, but the manufacturer still lags behind Airbus. The latest A321XLR long-range variant presents a further challenge with increased range. Qantas will have one of the highest passenger capacities onboard its Airbus A321XLRs.

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