Boeing Nears FAA Certification for 737-7 and Progresses with 737-10 Max Towards 2024 and 2025 Deliveries
Boeing is nearing key milestones in the certification of its 737-7 and 737-10 Max aircraft. Boeing is close to receiving Federal Aviation Administration certification for its 737-7 aircraft, with deliveries potentially starting in early 2024. The 737-10 is also making progress, having completed about 70% of the FAA’s required inspections, and deliveries could begin in the first quarter of 2025. Here are the details for each:
Boeing 737-7
Boeing’s first delivery of the 737-7 has been delayed to 2024. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to certify the Max 7, and begin FAA certification flight testing for the Max 10 in 2023. The Max 7 certification process has been taking a considerable amount of time due to new documentation requirements.
The certification process has involved extensive back-and-forth between Boeing and the FAA regarding the safety management system paperwork. The FAA, emphasizing safety as the dictating factor for the certification timeline, has not provided a clear timetable for when it might sign off on Boeing’s submissions.
A delay in delivering the Max 7 to launch customer Southwest Airlines will extend its entry into service, which was originally set for 2022. This delay could affect Southwest’s expansion plans, as it exclusively operates the 737.
Insiders anticipate the 737-7 could receive FAA certification as early as next month, paving the way for deliveries to begin in early 2024.
Boeing 737-10
The 737-10 has not yet begun flight testing under FAA-granted type inspection authorization. Design changes, some prompted by the 737 Max’s grounding and global regulatory review, have made its certification more complex than the smaller Max versions.
Boeing has completed about 70% of the FAA’s prerequisites for type inspection authorization (TIA) for the 737-10. This TIA marks the start of certification credit flight testing. Boeing is working with the FAA to finalize system safety assessments and validate new human factors assumptions.
If the TIA is granted by the end of the year and flight testing proceeds smoothly, deliveries of the 737-10 could begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Both the 737-7 and 737-10 Max are critical for Boeing to compete against Airbus in the narrowbody market. These developments represent significant steps in Boeing’s efforts to advance its aircraft lineup and maintain a competitive edge in the industry.
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, boeing.com, faa.gov, reuters.com