Boeing 737 MAX serves world’s longest narrowbody routes amid continued airline demand

According to data from Cirium for scheduled operations in 2025, TUI fly Nordic operates the longest regular passenger route with a MAX variant: Helsinki (HEL) to Boa Vista Island (BVC), covering an average distance of 3,864 miles on select flights. Other notable long-haul services include GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes’ Orlando-Brasília route at approximately 3,778 miles and Arajet’s Punta Cana–Buenos Aires service at around 3,728 miles.

Arajet leads in frequency with more than five hundred flights between Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) and Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE), providing over ninety thousand seats annually on this sector. GOL also operates high-frequency services between Miami or Orlando and Brasília.

Some exceptionally long flights are listed as repositioning or non-regular passenger services—for example, Flydubai’s one-off Manas International Airport (BSZ) to Dubai (DXB) trip covers more than six thousand miles but does not appear on standard passenger schedules.

A key reason behind the MAX's ongoing appeal is its fuel efficiency. The aircraft features CFM International LEAP engines and aerodynamic improvements like split-tip winglets. These changes result in a roughly fourteen percent improvement in fuel use compared to its predecessor.

The different variants of the MAX series accommodate between about one hundred fifty and two hundred passengers depending on configuration and offer ranges sufficient for many international routes. After being grounded due to safety concerns—including another incident involving Alaska Airlines—the Federal Aviation Administration limited production rates at Boeing’s facilities. Nevertheless, Boeing plans to increase output if approved by regulators to address strong market demand.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom commented: "The aircraft is ready to go. [It] is much more efficient. It’s much greener. It’s a new plane that ought to be flying, and other aircraft ought to be left at home right now.”

GOL Linhas Aéreas was notably first among global carriers to return the MAX into revenue service after recertification efforts concluded in late 2020.

As aviation demand grows post-pandemic despite ongoing supply chain challenges, airlines continue relying on modern narrowbody jets like the Boeing 737 MAX for both regional and longer-distance operations.