Though both designs exist under the Boeing 737 umbrella, the 737 Max is newer, and it was created to replace the 737-800, according to ABC News. But the 737 Max was grounded for 20 months following an investigation into those fatal crashes.

No, the Boeing 737-800 is not the same as the Boeing 737 MAX, although they look very similar to the untrained eye. The 737-800 is part of the 737 Next Generation (NG) family, which was produced primarily between the late 1990s and 2019; it is considered one of the most reliable and widely used aircraft in aviation history. The 737 MAX (specifically the MAX 8) is the successor to the -800. The primary differences are the engines and the aerodynamics. The MAX uses much larger, more fuel-efficient CFM LEAP-1B engines, which require the engine housing (nacelle) to be mounted further forward and higher on the wing. You can easily tell them apart by looking at the "winglets" (the tips of the wings): the 737-800 usually has a single upward-pointing winglet, while the MAX features a distinct "Split Scimitar" winglet that points both up and down. Inside, the MAX features the "Boeing Sky Interior" and much quieter cabin acoustics. While they share a common "type rating" for pilots, the MAX includes significant software and hardware upgrades designed to handle the different flight characteristics caused by those larger, more powerful engines.