The Boeing 737 MAX program continues to feel delays, with Boeing confirming that its smallest MAX variant, the 737-7, won’t be delivered this year.
Boeing is currently in a race to certify its 737-7 and 737-10 so customers can begin flying them. However, thanks to the tight nature of the certification process implemented by the FAA and the need to comply with regulations inside the aircraft. As such, Boeing has struggled to meet deadlines for the plane.
Its 737-7 was expected to be certified before the 737-10, but also subsequently looked at deliveries occurring this year as part of its rollout plan, that now won’t happen.
Through new certification requirements outlined by the FAA, the regulator’s presence for completing tasks is required more than ever. This was in stark contrast to previously when their presence wasn’t broadly felt, and as discussed following the ET302 and JT610 incidents, Boeing essentially certified aircraft themselves.
While the 737-7 makes headlines for deliveries being pushed back to 2024, a fate customers of the aircraft already believed would happen, it only increases concerns about the 737-10s entry into service, flight testing program and more. These delays continue to grow, and the timeline for the 737-10s EIS moves to more of a grey area.
