Boeing wins certification for long-delayed 737 MAX 7 jet

(Aug 4): Boeing Co received sign off for the 737 MAX 7 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), ending a drawn-out certification process that was upended by two fatal crashes and quality lapses at the US planemaker.

The FAA issued an amended type certificate for the MAX 7 following almost a decade of review, the regulator said in a statement on Monday. The MAX 7 has been predominantly ordered by Southwest Airlines Co and Boeing has 282 unfilled orders for the MAX 7, according to its website.

“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,” the FAA said in the statement.

Boeing has said it expected to win signoff for the MAX 7 and the still-uncertified MAX 10 variants this year. Bloomberg News previously reported that the MAX 10 is likely to be certified in the fall.

Certification of the MAX 7 and 10 is key to rounding out Boeing’s most-sold 737 family and helping it generate cash and improve its balance sheet after several tumultuous years.