Boeing begins assembly of first 737 Max

Boeing has begun assembly of the first 737 Max airliner, a month after Spirit AeroSystems completed its work on the fuselage.

Boeing said in a news release Tuesday that after receiving the Wichita-built fuselage last month workers at its Renton, Wash.-plant began installing flight systems and insulation blankets. They then attached the wings.

The airplane is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with first flight in early 2016.

It will be delivered to launch customer Southwest Airlines.

The Max is the next generation of the single-aisle 737, Boeing’s best-selling jetliner.

Boeing has 2,869 orders from 58 customers for the Max.

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Boeing begins assembly of first 737 Max."