NEW YORK: More than eight years after Boeing organised the maiden flight of the 737 MAX 7, US authorities announced Monday that they certified the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced certification of the smallest version of the single-aisle MAX plane, a process that had been significantly prolonged by new requirements under federal legislation following two fatal MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The action, which Boeing and regulators had telegraphed in recent weeks, sent Boeing shares sharply higher. The MAX 7 is Boeing’s first new aircraft to be cleared since the crashes and other problems sent the company into a multi-year slump.
“This important certification validates the rigour of our airplane’s design and recognises the determination and resilience of our 737 MAX development team,” said Stephanie Pope, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
“Our team stayed focused on completing all requirements and delivering a safe and more capable airplane to our customers.”
FAA approval follows “almost a decade of extensive review” following “years of sustained work to resolve complex technical issues,” the agency said.
Boeing had originally intended to commence deliveries in 2019 on the 737 MAX 7, which has a maximum of 172 seats.
But that timeframe fell by the wayside after the two fatal crashes, which were followed by a near-catastrophic January 2024 Alaska Airlines flight in which a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight.
To win certification, Boeing completed 441 flight tests over 686 test flight hours.
A contributing factor to the two fatal MAX crashes was the poor design of an anti-stall system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) that activated improperly and prevented pilots from regaining control of the planes.
US prosecutors charged that Boeing misled FAA regulators about MCAS, resulting in no reference to the system in manuals and pilot training materials.
Boeing is also close to winning certification for the 737 MAX 10, the largest in the MAX family with a maximum of 230 seats.
The company is also working with regulators on the certification of the 777X, a much-delayed widebody plane.
Capitol Hill hearings exposed weak government oversight of Boeing as a factor in the MAX crashes, leading to 2020 legislation requiring the company to install new AOA sensors on the entire fleet of over 2,300 MAX planes within two years.
With the certifications moving ahead, Boeing expects to ramp up MAX production in the coming period.
The company said Monday it is “readying the first airplanes” for delivery to launch customer Southwest Airlines.
Southwest celebrated the FAA certification and said it looked forward to bringing the new planes into service in “the coming months.”
CEO Kelly Ortberg, who joined Boeing in August 2024 after the Alaska Airlines incident, has emphasised close adherence to quality control and key performance indicators.
The company has worked closely with the FAA, which greenlighted MAX production increases from 38 to 42 and then from 42 to 47.
Ortberg told analysts last week he did not foresee problems with Boeing’s supply chain in lifting monthly MAX production to 52 jets.
“I think it’s going to get harder as we go from 52 to 57 and beyond that. We’ll just have to see how well we’re all collectively doing,” Ortberg said. “But look, we’re on our plan. Our plan’s working.”
Boeing in July unveiled a new MAX production line in Everett, Washington that is expected to enable the MAX programme to meet 52 airplanes per month.
Increasing output is essential to Boeing’s medium-term financial targets, which includes the generation of US$10 billion (RM41 billion) in annual free cash flow following a lengthy period of earnings underperformance.
Shares of Boeing jumped 8%. – AFP
