The US Federal Aviation Administration has certified Boeing’s 737-7, also known as the 737 MAX 7, issuing an amended type certificate that clears the smallest MAX variant for commercial service and delivery. Boeing’s Seattle release and the FAA’s same-day statement confirmed the approval, ending a long certification campaign and setting up the first deliveries to launch customer Southwest Airlines.
The FAA also updated Boeing’s production limitation record to include the aircraft, allowing the company to move ahead with final production work. Boeing said the certification programme involved more than 1,000 hours of flight and ground testing, alongside system safety analysis and human-factors reviews. The airline is preparing to receive the first aircraft, though no firm delivery date has been given.
The certification process stretched for almost a decade and required Boeing to address technical and safety issues raised during the programme. Changes included an updated engine anti-ice system and refinements to flight-control and alerting systems. For Southwest, the approval removes the final regulatory hurdle for a type that is expected to play a central role in narrow-body fleet planning, with the 737-7 designed as the smallest member of the MAX family.