In this work, the flow of a fractional Maxwell fluid is discussed. The velocity function and time-dependent shear stress of a Maxwell fluid with fractional derivatives are calculated. It is considered that the fluid in the infinitely long circular cylinder is moving with a velocity ft. The fluid in the infinitely long circular cylinder of radius R is initially at rest and at t = 0+, because of shear, it instantly starts to move longitudinally. To obtain the solutions, we have employed Laplace transformation and modified Bessel equation. The solutions are in series form, which are expressed in terms of modified Bessel functions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and satisfy all given conditions. In this paper, Laplace inverse transformation has been calculated numerically by using MATLAB. The behavior of the following physical parameters on the flow are investigated: relaxation time, dynamic viscosity, kinematics viscosity, similarity parameters of fractional derivatives and radius of the circular cylinder. Finally, the impact of the fractional parameter and material elements is shown by graphical demonstration.