737 Range

I see that Southwest Airlines had announced that they will start flying to Hawaii.

Assuming that they stay with an 'all 737' fleet, are there any issues with the distance?
They seem to have the range, barely, with some models.
LA to Honolulu is within the range.

ETOPS?

 

Alaska has been flying to Hawaii for yrs using 737's.

 

From SEA, which is further than LAX

 

Thanks....

 

The 737-800 has a listed range of 5510 NM. Pretty sure the FAA would not approve the route if not well within all safety parameters

Jedi

 

From 2007
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-05-31-alaska-air-hawaii_n.htm

 

Good thing you aren't planning the routes. That's 5510 km, not nm.

The Max 8 that Southwest will be using has a range of 6510 km.

 

I have flown that route and I think that they can make it.

 

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Eh?

That says 737-700ER.

Not 737-800, which is what you said in your post. And not 737 Max-8, which is what Southwest will be using on that route.

 

Of course the 737 Max-8 Southwest plans on using can make it.

I was just pointing out that a 737-800 does not have a range of 5510 NM. A 737-800 has a range of 5510 KM.

 

As an aside, I was also reading about the telescoping landing gear for 737's... to get it higher off the ground, when on the ground.
For rotation with longer bodies... sounds like it will be 9 or so inches higher.
It shortens when it retracts.

I think Navy Corsair fighters had this feature in WW2.

 

The -700
ER was an airline edition of the BBJ1. They had extra fuel tanks in the cargo hold. Only a couple were built. As of a year or so ago all have been retired and broken up. [There was a stipulation to ANA that these aircraft could never re-enter the market for other purposes - was part of a group that wanted to buy them for conversion to VIP]

 

This feature is for the Max10 since the engines will have a larger diameter fan than what the current models can accommodate.

 

LA to Hawaii is approximately 2100 nm/3890 kms. Within range. Except for other Hawaiian airports, obviously no alternates. That is pretty much the longest overwater stretch with no place else to land. White Shark breeding ground about half-way there.

 

They could offer the first few flights real cheap , just in case!!