The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified Boeing's 737-7 aircraft, the manufacturer announced Monday, granting an amended type certificate that clears the newest 737 MAX variant for commercial service.

The approval comes after a multi-year certification effort that began in 2018 and involved more than 1,000 hours of flight and ground testing, along with extensive safety analysis and human factors reviews, Boeing said in a statement.

Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the certification validates the rigor of the airplane's design and reflects the determination of the 737 MAX development team. She added that engineers and test personnel had pushed through setbacks, including an extended pandemic and a shift to new certification procedures, to deliver what she called a safer, more capable aircraft. 

Mike Sinnett, Boeing's senior vice president of Product Strategy, Product Development and Development Programs, said the company maintained close contact with the FAA throughout the process to ensure regulatory requirements were understood and progress remained transparent. He said lessons from the 737-7 programme should help speed up certification of future aircraft, with greater attention to human factors, safety and quality.

The 737-7 is the smallest and longest-range aircraft in the 737 MAX family, typically seating 135 to 160 passengers in a two-class layout and offering a range of up to 3,800 nautical miles (7,040 km) — roughly 10 percent farther than its siblings in the family. Boeing says the aircraft is built to perform well at high-altitude and hot-climate airports. Like other 737 MAX variants, it is designed to cut fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent and reduce noise footprint by half compared with the older-generation aircraft it replaces.

During testing, Boeing said engineers identified a potential issue with the aircraft's engine anti-ice system and updated the system to address it before certification was completed.

The FAA also updated Boeing's Production Certificate No. 700 to cover the 737-7, according to the statement.

Southwest Airlines, the launch customer for the 737-7, is preparing to receive its first aircraft, with Boeing finalising configuration updates ahead of delivery.

Boeing's 737 MAX family — comprising the 737-7, 737-8, 737-9 and 737-10 variants — has accumulated more than 7,200 orders, of which over 2,300 had been delivered as of the end of June 2026, the company said. The larger 737-10 remains under review, with Boeing aiming to secure its certification later this year.

Source: PR