Boeing's 737-7 MAX Finally Gets Off the Ground

Boeing has finally secured certification for its 737-7 MAX passenger plane, 15 years after it announced the type and seven years after the first model rolled off the production line.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the plane on Monday, saying its decision reflects years of work to resolve complex technical issues and complete a thorough review of the airplane's design and safety analyses.

Many of the 737-7's problems were also present in the 737-8 MAX, which suffered fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 due to faulty software.

The 737-7's limited appeal is due to its unusual configuration, which sees it capable of carrying 172 passengers up to 3,850 nautical miles.