Boeing, American Airlines complete first 737 MAX landing gear exchange

Boeing and American Airlines announced the successful completion of the first landing gear exchange for a 737 MAX, marking a key milestone as the company extends its longstanding Landing Gear Exchange Program to the MAX platform. The exchange validates Boeing’s ability to deliver fully overhauled, Boeing‑certified main and nose landing gear assemblies that arrive ready to install — reducing aircraft on‑ground time and easing spare‑parts burdens for operators. The Landing Gear Exchange Program has long provided customers with a practical alternative to buying and warehousing expensive spare gear. This first 737 MAX swap with American Airlines demonstrates the program’s proven model — overhaul, certification and delivery of ready‑to‑install assemblies — is effective for the newest generation of Boeing single‑aisle aircraft. “This milestone reinforces what our customers have known for years: Boeing’s Landing Gear Exchange capability delivers predictable, safe and cost‑effective outcomes,” said William Ampofo, senior vice president, Parts & Distribution and Supply Chain, Boeing Global Services. “Extending the program to the 737 MAX gives operators another proven tool to shorten downtime, manage costs and align heavy maintenance with operational needs.” For the completed 737 MAX exchange Boeing supplied an overhauled and certified landing gear assembly with installation kit. The swap validated the end‑to‑end process — from technical overhaul and paperwork through delivery — and proved the approach can be applied consistently to the MAX fleet. Boeing is also increasing global overhaul capacity and coordinating with certified MRO partners to expand geographic availability and shorten lead times. Near term priorities include enlarging 737 MAX‑capable exchange inventory, adding forward‑exchange slots close to customer operations, and tracking operational metrics to quantify downtime and cost benefits as the program scales. By enabling a forward exchange of certified assemblies, Boeing’s solution helps airlines avoid lengthy in‑place overhauls and the risk of extended groundings. Operators can shift from holding high‑cost spare inventories to reserving forward‑exchange slots, freeing working capital and improving fleet predictability. Boeing manages the technical overhaul, incorporation of applicable service bulletins, certification and supplier coordination, transferring inventory and obsolescence risk away from operators. For the completed 737 MAX exchange Boeing supplied overhauled and certified main and nose landing gear assemblies with installation kits (wheels, tires and brakes excluded). The swap validated the end‑to‑end process — from technical overhaul and paperwork through delivery — and proved the approach can be applied consistently to the MAX fleet. Iberia wins approval for comprehensive maintenance on A350 Iberia has obtained approval allowing the company’s Heavy Maintenance division to carry out heavy maintenance on the entire Airbus A350 fleet. For the first time, the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) has granted this authorisation without limitations, giving Iberia comprehensive maintenance capabilities for the A350. This achievement follows two years of work during which more than 150 lines of action were developed in areas including training, engineering, production, materials, production equipment, infrastructure, documentation, organization, quality and IT systems, among many others. “This milestone marks the culmination of a project launched at the end of 2024 and gives us comprehensive maintenance capabilities for this aircraft. This approval demonstrates that Heavy Maintenance has the processes, equipment, documentation, organization and qualified professionals required to work on the A350 with the highest levels of safety, quality and efficiency,” says Enrique Robledo, Director of lIberia Maintenance. The authorisation without limitations from day one is also a testament to the confidence placed in Iberia by the authorities. It represents a strategic achievement that strengthens Iberia Maintenance’s position as an industry benchmark, opening up new opportunities for the future growth and development of Iberia’s maintenance business For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]