Boeing has completed its first landing gear exchange for a 737 MAX with American Airlines, marking the expansion of its Landing Gear Exchange Program to the aircraft type.
The exchange saw Boeing supply overhauled and certified main and nose landing gear assemblies with installation kits, providing American Airlines with ready-to-install equipment designed to reduce aircraft on-ground time.
Boeing said the milestone validates its ability to extend the exchange model, already available to operators of other aircraft, to the latest generation of its single-aisle fleet.
The programme provides airlines with an alternative to purchasing and holding high-cost spare landing gear or carrying out lengthy in-place overhauls.
Operators can instead reserve forward-exchange slots, with Boeing managing the technical overhaul, certification, incorporation of applicable service bulletins and supplier coordination.
William Ampofo, senior vice president, parts and distribution and supply chain at Boeing Global Services, said: “This milestone reinforces what our customers have known for years: Boeing's Landing Gear Exchange capability delivers predictable, safe and cost-effective outcomes.
“Extending the programme to the 737 MAX gives operators another proven tool to shorten downtime, manage costs and align heavy maintenance with operational needs.”
Boeing said the first MAX exchange validated the end-to-end process, covering technical overhaul and documentation through to delivery and installation.
The company is now increasing its global overhaul capacity and working with certified MRO partners to expand the geographic availability of the programme and shorten lead times.
Near-term priorities include increasing the inventory of 737 MAX-capable exchange landing gear and adding forward-exchange slots closer to customer operations.
Boeing said the approach could also allow operators to reduce the need to hold expensive spare landing gear, freeing working capital while transferring inventory and obsolescence risk to the manufacturer.
Wheels, tyres and brakes are not included as part of the exchanged landing gear assemblies.
