How Many Miles Per Gallon Does A Boeing 737 MAX Get Per Passenger Compared To An Airbus A321neo?

For 2026’s short- to medium-range routes, two jet families dominate: the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A321neo. The fuel-economy comparison here uses a “seats per gallon of fuel” metric—essentially how many seats (with the study’s assumptions) each aircraft can deliver per unit of fuel. Airbus says the A321neo first flew on Feb. 9, 2016, and highlights a test profile of an 11-hour, 4,750 NM (8,797 km) flight. By comparison, an Air Europa 737 MAX 8 delivery flight covered 3,873 NM in about 10 hours. A control comparison to the 737-800 suggests the MAX 8 is 15%–24% more efficient, while the A321neo is 31%–39% more efficient, with seat-per-fuel averages over 100 versus roughly 95 for the MAX 8.