FAA Certifies Boeing 737 Max 7 After 10 Years of Delays
Updated
Updated · Quartz · Aug 3
FAA Certifies Boeing 737 Max 7 After 10 Years of Delays
3 articles · Updated · Quartz · Aug 3
Summary
Nearly a decade late, Boeing’s smallest 737 Max model won FAA approval Monday, clearing airlines to begin introducing the jet into passenger service once they complete their own scheduling and operational steps.
The certification followed fixes to complex technical issues, including redesigned engine anti-ice hardware and updates to flight-control software and the flightcrew alerting system that the FAA said prevent engine overheating.
Southwest and other carriers had expected to fly the Max 7 before the pandemic, but scrutiny intensified after the 2018 and 2019 Max 8 crashes that killed 346 people, along with later safety and manufacturing problems.
About 40 Max 7 and Max 10 jets are already built, so the approval could unlock deliveries and cash for Boeing; its shares rose more than 5% Monday.
The decision marks another step in Boeing’s recovery as it still awaits FAA certification of the delayed 737 Max 10 and 777X while ramping up 737 Max and 787 production.