WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally certified Boeing's 737 Max 7, allowing the smallest member of the 737 Max family to start commercial flights after a long wait due to safety reviews.
This plane was supposed to hit the skies before the pandemic, but its certification faced multiple setbacks after the tragic crashes involving the 737 Max 8 back in 2018 and 2019, not to mention some ongoing manufacturing and safety issues.
According to the FAA, the go-ahead comes after years spent tackling some tricky technical challenges, like redesigning the engine anti-ice system, updating the flight control software, and enhancing the crew alerting system.
Now that it's certified, airlines can get ready to use the Max 7 for passengers. However, companies like Southwest Airlines aren't likely to roll it out until next year as they work on updating their existing planes with new cabins.
This approval should help Boeing kick off deliveries for the many Max 7 planes they've already built, which will be a nice boost for their cash flow since they typically get a big chunk of the payment upon delivery.
Boeing is also waiting on the FAA to certify the larger 737 Max 10 while trying to restore production and regain regulatory trust after facing several safety and manufacturing hurdles.
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