Originally Posted by
Akamai
This is the question HAL has been battling for a decade. There is no current production aircraft that can handle interisland. If they can use Ng’s for another decade then they can be replaced with the sea gliders we got coming.
MAXs can absolutely do this job if these airframes are woven into the overall network. That would take fewer airframes overall (the current 717 fleet is 17), so let's say the flying could be done with maybe 10 airframes. You can weave 10 737s through the islands and have them enter and exit where they aren't dedicated to the island, and shorten the life of these MAX engines. There are no non NEO/MAX engined aircraft being made, so this is going to be something to live with unless the company gets another aircraft type like a 175 or a Q400, and I don't see that happening. For one, Embraer is all cycle limited, so that puts more of a handicap on aircraft than a MAX engine would, and the Q, I just don't see happening.