Might want to check your data on DEN. The aircraft will be very lift restricted out of DEN. There currently no major plans for the -10 in DEN for UA because of weight penalties and severely reduced mission scope.
The 737 MAX 10, certified yesterday about six years late, is going to be a high-capacity workhorse on the busiest hub routes and at slot-constrained airports, where airlines can't add flights but can add seats.
The MAX 10's appeal is unit cost. Boeing says it burns about 20% less fuel than older gen planes and costs about 5% less per seat-mile than an A321neo.
But United's MAX 10s with 189 seats need the same two pilots and four FAs as its 179-seat 737-900ER; that's 10 more seats for the same crew.
Here's where I think the big US airlines fly them:
- Delta's busiest routes all start in Atlanta, to Orlando, LaGuardia, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale, and I'd expect the MAX 10 to replace older 757s and A321s there.
- United's run through Chicago, Houston, Denver, and Newark.
- American's run through Dallas and Charlotte.
- Alaska's start in Seattle, to Anchorage, LA, and Phoenix.
Some will get lie-flat seats. Alaska is putting its new Aurora suites on at least 25 MAX 10s from 2028: 12 lie-flat seats, each with aisle access, plus 12 premium economy seats, for transcon flying.
United bought lie-flat seats for its MAX 10s years ago too, but after all the delays Scott Kirby says they don't fit on its other planes, and its premium transcon flying went to the A321neo instead.
In the US, Delta and American plan at least 24 first class seats on it, as many as Delta's biggest 757s and more than any American narrowbody.
Ryanair is going the other way, with 228 seats, about 20% more than its 737-800s, at the same slot-limited airports in Europe. O'Leary has said Dublin would be the first Ryanair base to get one.
Airlines have 1,555 on order, about one in three of the 737 MAXes Boeing still has to deliver. Can't wait to fly on one!
ALT Map and table showing each US 737 MAX 10 customer's 10 busiest domestic routes by its own seats, July 2025 to June 2026, excluding lie-flat premium transcon routes, with hubs colored by airline. United's center on Chicago O'Hare, Houston, and Denver. Alaska's mostly run from Seattle, to Anchorage, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Orange County, plus Honolulu to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Delta's all run from Atlanta, including five to Florida. American's run from Dallas-Fort Worth and Charlotte, plus LaGuardia to Miami. The table lists firm orders: United 167, Alaska 161, American 115, Delta 100, and notes Alaska's lie-flat transcon subfleet from 2028.
ALT Bar chart of firm Boeing 737 MAX 10 orders by customer, October 2026: United 167, Alaska 161, Ryanair 150 (plus 150 options), American 115, WestJet 101, Delta 100, Pegasus 100, Akasa 99. Boeing's total is 1,555 from more than 30 customers. Notes: United, domestic, sized like a 737-900ER. Alaska, Seattle transcon, Hawaii, lie-flat subfleet. Ryanair, 228 seats at slot-limited airports. American, replacing older A321s and 737-800s. WestJet, launch customer, first jet 2027. Delta, LaGuardia, Atlanta, 757 and A321 replacement.
