Boeing's Smallest 737 MAX Finally Gets Certified After Almost a Decade

After almost a decade of delays, Boeing's smallest 737 MAX aircraft has finally received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The MAX 7 typically seats 135 to 160 passengers and has a range of up to 3,800 nautical miles. Certification clears the way for deliveries, but they won't start immediately as Boeing needs to complete some work on the aircraft already built.

The planemaker expects to deliver the first MAX 7 in 2027 to Southwest Airlines, its launch customer. The airline currently has more than 250 MAX 7s on firm order and plans to use them to replace its aging 737-700s. However, delivery may be delayed as the airline needs around six months to update its manuals and maintenance procedures.

Boeing's certification of the MAX 7 comes after a series of challenges that have plagued the program since its launch in 2011. The aircraft family was designed to offer efficiency gains over previous-generation 737s, but it faced major regulatory review following two fatal crashes involving the MAX 8 in 2018 and 2019.