FAA Grants Certification to Boeing's Delayed 737 MAX 7 Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally granted certification to Boeing's 737 MAX 7 aircraft, nearly nine years after its maiden flight. The certification is a significant milestone for Boeing, which has been working tirelessly to resolve complex technical issues that led to two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.

Boeing completed 441 flight tests over 686 test flight hours to win the certification, which had been delayed due to new requirements under federal legislation. The company's president of Commercial Airplanes, Stephanie Pope, stated that the certification validates the rigor of their airplane's design and recognizes the determination and resilience of their development team.

The MAX 7 is Boeing's first new aircraft to be cleared since the crashes, which sent the company into a multi-year slump. With the certification in place, Boeing expects to ramp up MAX production in the coming period, with plans to deliver the first airplanes to launch customer Southwest Airlines. The company has also announced that it is readying the first MAX 7 planes for delivery.