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Boeing's 737 MAX 7 finally receives certification after eight-year delay
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Economy & Trade

Boeing's 737 MAX 7 finally receives certification after eight-year delay

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Approved/passed
  • Boeing's 737 MAX 7 aircraft has received its certification from the FAA after an eight-year delay.
  • The certification allows the aircraft to enter service, with Southwest Airlines expected to be the first recipient.
  • The MAX 7's certification process faced technical hurdles and delays, impacting its original 2019 delivery schedule.

Boeing's 737 MAX 7 has finally secured its certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than eight years after its first flight. This long-awaited approval paves the way for the aircraft to enter commercial service, with deliveries expected to begin soon and the first plane anticipated to go to Southwest Airlines.

This "approval reflects years of sustained work to resolve complex technical issues and to conduct a thorough review of the aircraft's design and accompanying safety analyses."

— Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)The FAA explains the extensive process behind granting certification to the Boeing 737 MAX 7.

The FAA stated that the "approval reflects years of sustained work to resolve complex technical issues and to conduct a thorough review of the aircraft's design and accompanying safety analyses." Stephanie Pope, president of Boeing's commercial aviation division, praised the certification as validation of the aircraft's design rigor. Southwest Airlines expressed eagerness for the MAX 7's entry into service, calling it a significant step in modernizing its fleet.

Deliveries of the 737 MAX 7, the smallest variant in the MAX family, were initially slated to begin in 2019. However, technical challenges and corporate issues repeatedly postponed the regulatory green light. During its certification process, the 737 MAX 7 underwent extensive testing, including 686 hours of flight tests across 441 flights and 349 hours of ground testing. The engine anti-icing system, a complex component, was among the final elements to be validated.

We have "hâte de l'entrée en service de l'avion dans les prochains mois," qualifying the certification as "une étape importante pour continuer à moderniser" its 737 fleet.

— Southwest Airlines spokespersonA Southwest Airlines spokesperson expresses the airline's anticipation for the 737 MAX 7's service entry.

Boeing is now looking to expedite the certification of the larger 737 MAX 10 model, hoping for its deliveries to commence next year. The company has faced significant scrutiny following two fatal crashes of the 737 MAX 8 in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people and grounded the entire MAX fleet for over 20 months. A faulty angle-of-attack sensor and the MCAS anti-stall software were identified as contributing factors in those accidents.

This "importante certification (qui) valide la rigueur de la conception de nos avions."

— Stephanie PopeStephanie Pope, president of Boeing's commercial aviation branch, comments on the significance of the certification.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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