US Federal Aviation Administration Allows Boeing 737 Max 7 to Fly After Years of Delay
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved on Monday the entry into service of the smallest variant of the Boeing 737 MAX family, the Boeing 737 MAX 7, approximately a decade after the company first unveiled it.
Granting airworthiness certification for the Boeing 737 MAX 7 marks a significant step in the American manufacturer’s efforts to overcome years of safety, quality, and production issues. The MAX 7 is part of the Boeing 737 commercial family, which has been the company’s best-selling aircraft but also at the center of its troubles following the crashes of two planes from this family in 2018 and 2019.
The FAA stated that it approved the new aircraft’s flight after years of additional testing, design modifications, and a thorough review of its design and safety systems. The certification was delayed as Boeing addressed technical issues amid heightened regulatory scrutiny following the 2018 and 2019 crashes.
Since the crashes off the coasts of Indonesia and Ethiopia, the FAA has conducted a comprehensive review of Boeing’s certification process. The agency affirmed that its oversight of the company will continue even after the MAX 7’s certification.
Prior to granting final approval, the FAA required Boeing to implement several safety-related improvements, including updates to flight control software, enhancements to cockpit alert systems for pilots, and a redesign of the engine anti-icing system to prevent overheating.
Stephanie Pope, President of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: “Our team of specialized engineers and test experts worked hard, overcoming challenges while continuing operations throughout the (corona) pandemic and adopting new certification procedures.”
For its part, the FAA said that safety inspectors would remain at Boeing’s production sites to monitor manufacturing processes, including oversight of the company’s safety management system and overall safety culture. The MAX 7 is expected to be used primarily on short- and medium-haul routes.
