The Federal Aviation Administration has certified Boeing’s 737 MAX 7, clearing the smallest member of the 737 MAX family for commercial service after years of development delays. The approval, issued on 3 August, gives Boeing an amended type certificate for the 737-7 and removes a key regulatory hurdle for the programme as the company prepares the aircraft for deliveries and entry into service.
Boeing and FAA officials met for the signing of the certification documents after a multi-year process that included extensive flight and ground testing, human-factors reviews and system-safety assessments. Boeing has cited nearly 700 flight-test hours across 440 test flights, along with about 350 ground-test hours, during the certification campaign.
The MAX 7’s clearance comes amid tighter FAA oversight of Boeing following the fatal 737 MAX 8 accidents in 2018 and 2019. The agency required changes linked to post-crash safety reforms, including updates to flight controls, flightcrew alerting and the engine anti-ice system. Southwest Airlines is expected to be the first operator of the type, although the official certification materials did not specify a first delivery date.