FAA expects Boeing MAX 7 to be certified this summer, sees more production hikes
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday that he expects the Boeing 737 MAX 7 to be certified this summer and the larger MAX 10 to be approved before the end of the year.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters at an aviation forum in Washington that he also expects Boeing will again hike production of the 737 MAX in the next 90 days. He said the FAA supported Boeing's decision to hike production from a rate of 42 planes per month to 47 planes.
"It's important for the country that Boeing is successful," Bedford said. "We are absolutely comfortable with 42 to 47 and I suspect in another 30, 60, 90 days we're going to see continued rate increases."
In October, the FAA gave Boeing approval to raise 737 MAX production to 42 planes per month, ending a 38-plane cap in place since January 2024.
The company said it aims to move to 52 jets a month early next year, after opening a fourth 737 production line in Everett, Washington.
The MAX 7 is a shortened version of the two types already in service, the MAX 8 and 9, which have accumulated tens of thousands of flight hours.
Boeing has faced delays in the certification of its MAX 7 and MAX 10 models due to an engine de-icing issue. The U.S. planemaker has also faced delays in certifying its widebody 777X jet.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said on Wednesday he is "pretty confident that we're not going to see any hiccups in the remaining phase of flight testing" for certifying the new 737 MAX engine anti-ice system.
The production cap was imposed after the 2024 mid-air cabin blowout incident involving a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX airplane.
"The best thing we can do to help Boeing is have them build quality and safety in the frames at the factory versus dealing with rework," Bedford said, adding that there is a lot more transparency from Boeing.
"Rather than waiting until things become problematic and getting us to engage, it's allowing us to be partners in helping identify potential problems and the solutions that can be built into the quality system," Bedford said.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Bill Berkrot)