The possible certification of the smallest variant of the Boeing 737 Max series, Max-7, could take even longer because the manufacturer has withdrawn an application for an exemption. Some design changes are to be made.

In contrast to the Max-8 and Max-9, the Max-7 and Max-10 variants have not yet been approved by the FAA. Southwest Airlines recently said it no longer expects the Max-7 to enter commercial service this year. For this reason, the machines that Boeing wanted to hand over this year were removed from the planning.

Boeing had submitted an exemption request in connection with the anti-icing system. The background is that there has been a change in the law in the United States of America. While the Max-8 and Max-9 were still certified according to the old regulations, the Max-7 and Max-10 actually have to be equipped according to the new rules. The manufacturer hoped to be able to use an exemption application to ensure that the two variants that had not yet been certified would be exempt from the change in the law.

Apparently Boeing's request has no chance of success, as the US Senate does not seem willing to comply. The aircraft manufacturer hoped that the approval process could be accelerated with the help of an exemption. They wanted to submit a permanent adjustment in 2026.

Boeing has now announced that it has withdrawn its application for an exemption for the de-icing system on the engine inlet of the Boeing 737-Max-7. “We are confident that the proposed time-limited exemption for this system follows established FAA processes to ensure safe operations, and we will instead implement a technical solution that will be completed during the certification process,” the manufacturer said in a statement Notice.

The decision is also likely to be the most recent incident, which occurred in early January 2024 with a Boeing 737-Max-9 operated by Alaska Airlines. Since then, Boeing has been in the public spotlight and the FAA is closely scrutinizing its production processes. The planned expansion of the clock speed was temporarily banned by the authorities.