The first of 10 Boeing 737 Max 8s that will operate throughout United Airlines’ South Pacific network has arrived in Guam.
United disclosed the plan to replace the 737-800s currently based at Guam’s Antonio B Won Pat International airport in September.
David Kinzelman, United’s senior vice-president of airport operations, confirmed the arrival of the first latest-generation 737 in a 4 March social media post.
He says the incoming 166-seat narrowbody jets will provide a “well-deserved and enhanced customer experience to the 15 destinations we serve in the region”.
”The larger overhead bins, charging ports and accessible seatback screens at every seat and Bluetooth connections on these planes meet the premium experience that customers deserve and expect from United Airlines,” he says.
All 10 Max 8s will arrive in Guam by year-end, replacing a roughly equivalent number of 737-800s.
The local fleet renewal strategy coincides with previously disclosed upgrades to the check-in lobby in Guam’s airport terminal.
United’s network in the region includes the carrier’s “Island Hopper” route – connecting Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Kwajalein, and Majuro – as well as Saipan and destinations in the Philippines.
The carrier runs regular operations from Guam to four airports in Japan: Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Osaka and Nagoya.
The Max 8s will also fly between Tokyo Narita and Cebu, Saipan, Kaohsiung, Palau and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
