Originally Posted by
owenc
The 737-800 can operate to New York from Belfast in summer, it's only 3,000 miles.
That is technically possible if they have spares just lying around to use during the busy summer season?
If the MAX's engines are possibly going to be problemic (which most new engines in recent past initially have been), lower utlisation might me a good way to ease them into service ie. the total opposite approach that was used when they bought the 787.
1700 seats is a lot to effectively give away if you don't need to though. Given the initial statements, it would seem bookings started very strongly. This is the sole reason I wondered if they were perhaps forming a backup plan.