dailynewsnblog
Christmas could be coming early for 
Boeing, as rumors have surfaced that the 737 MAX 7 aircraft may be nearing FAA certification before the end of the month. This would be the latest chapter in Boeing’s road to recovery as it faced a list of safety and quality issues. This news will please the type’s biggest customer 
Southwest Airlines, as the world’s largest low-cost carrier has been waiting patiently for certification of this plane, of which it has more than 250 on order.
According to The Wall Street Journal, federal regulators are expected to certify the MAX 7 later this month, a long time coming for the plane maker, which will mean it will be cleared to start carrying passengers.
The Boeing 737 MAX 7 Could Be Certified Before Month’s End
The MAX 7 is the smallest of the MAX family of aircraft, and assuming there are no further issues with the plane, it is expected to be certified before the end of this month. While it is the smallest of the single-aisle MAX family of aircraft, it is a derivative of the original 737, which debuted more than 60 years ago and remains Boeing’s best-selling airplane.
For Boeing, certification of the type would be a major milestone, as the company has faced scrutiny after two fatal crashes of the MAX family of planes, in addition to the Alaska Airlines midair door-plug saga. It is hoped that the FAA will soon restore Boeing’s authority to sign off on newly manufactured 737s, a privilege revoked in 2019 after the fatal crashes.
Safety approvals from the FAA would be what dictates the official timing of the MAX 7 certification, and Boeing is hotly anticipating the move will then allow the manufacturer to pursue its intentions to continue ramping up production to meet the demand for the popular-selling MAX family of planes. Boeing just this week opened another MAX production line in Everett, a site that had previously been used for the 767 and 747.
Certification For Other MAX Models Expected by Year-End
With the MAX 8 and MAX 9 already certified and flying, Boeing hopes to certify the MAX 7 this month, followed by the MAX 10 before year-end. These hopes have been emphasized by the Boeing Chief Executive Officer, Kelly Ortberg, that this is the ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’
Once certified, the MAX 7 will provide a significant boost to the Southwest fleet, one of Boeing’s largest customers. Currently, the Dallas-based airline has been operating its older 737-700 aircraft while it waits for delivery of the upgraded type. The current fleet of 737-700s at Southwest is an average age of more than two decades.
Currently, WN has more than 258 MAX 7 planes on order from Boeing, with the plane maker having already completed more than 20 of these, which are awaiting certification and are stored at Boeing’s Moses Lake facility in Washington State.
Won’t Be Flying Passengers Until 2027 At The Earliest
According to Southwest, the imminent certification and subsequent delivery of the MAX 7 are unlikely to enter service before the year-end, with the airline suggesting it would not begin flying the type until early 2027. For the MAX 10, there are still a few more hoops to jump through, with this type’s biggest customers including Chicago-based 
United Airlines and Atlanta-based 
Delta Air Lines.
This latest news that the MAX 7 could receive its FAA certification before the end of the month will be celebrated not only by Southwest but also by other carriers on the order book, including WestJet and Allegiant Air. Southwest is the launch customer for the type and the largest customer, with the vast majority on order.
