Boeing withdraws request for MAX 7 inspection exemption

Boeing said it has withdrawn a request for a waiver that would have allowed US regulators to still certify the upcoming 737 MAX 7 without making immediate design changes.

Boeing is trying to quell safety concerns after a mid-air cabin panel explosion on a 737 MAX 9 jet operated by Alaska Airlines on Jan. 5. Retracting the waiver would affect the certification process for the MAX 7, according to Reuters. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth was the first in Congress to call on the Federal Aviation Administration to deny the waiver.

Boeing has reached an agreement with customer Southwest Airlines on the inevitable delay in delivering the Max 7 jet, according to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun. Boeing had planned to launch the MAX 10, the largest version of the jet, this year, but the MAX 10 also required design changes, so the launch plan will be postponed.

KHANH MINH