Boeing's newest 737 max jetliner makes first flight into cloudy market

Airlines have leaned toward larger, more economical models

Boeing Co.’s newest and smallest 737 Max jetliner took flight for the first time, into blue skies - and a cloudy, crowded market.

The takeoff, at 10:17 a.m. Friday by Boeing’s factory outside Seattle, was characteristically drama-free for the third of four planned models in the Max family. The plane touched down at Boeing Field at 12:59 p.m.

Boeing’s latest upgrades of its 737, which dates to the mid-1960s, have largely met milestones on a schedule plotted years ago even as the manufacturer pushes single-aisle output to record highs.

But prospects for the new aircraft - the Max 7 -- are hazy.