The Federal Aviation Administration has certified the Boeing 737 Max 7, the smallest model in the best-selling family of aircraft, after nearly a decade of delays.
The agency on Monday said the approval “reflects years of sustained work to resolve complex technical issues and complete a thorough review of the airplane’s design and supporting safety analyses.”
Carriers including Southwest Airlines expected to fly the plane before the pandemic, but increased regulatory scrutiny following the fatal crashes of the in-service Max 8, in 2018 and 2019, other safety and manufacturing crises, and the redesign of an engine anti-icing system delayed certification.
Airlines can finally start flying passengers soon after planes are certified, but it can take them months to work them into schedules.
In a statement, Southwest said it was looking forward to integrating the planes into service. “Certification is an important step toward continuing to…
