Boeing recently asked government regulators to exempt its new 737 Max 7 plane from safety rules. This happened just weeks before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered older Max planes to be grounded because a window panel blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight.
Last year, officials said Boeing was fixing a problem on current Max planes where part of the engine housing could overheat and break off mid-flight, possibly hitting windows and causing rapid decompression. The FAA told Max 8 and Max 9 pilots to limit using an anti-icing system in dry conditions to prevent potential airplane control issues. Boeing hasn’t found a permanent solution yet.
Boeing wants an exemption for its new Max 7’s engine inlets and anti-ice system until May 2026. This is so they can start delivering these new planes to airlines. Boeing said they’re working on a fix that the FAA will review.
Boeing recently asked government regulators to exempt its new 737 Max 7 plane from safety rules
The overheating problem only affects Boeing’s Max planes with carbon composite engine inlets. This issue caused a death in 2018 when an engine blade broke during a Southwest Airlines flight, hitting and shattering a window.
Boeing says pilots of the new Max 7 will follow the same guidelines as pilots of current Max planes regarding the anti-ice system.
There were two major crashes involving the 737 Max: one in 2018 with Lion Air and another in 2019 with Ethiopian Airlines, killing a total of 346 people. All Max jets were grounded worldwide for nearly two years while Boeing fixed an automated flight-control system issue.
The FAA recently ordered some Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes to be grounded after a large piece of fuselage blew out on an Alaskan Airlines flight. This involved about 171 planes globally, and the FAA said operators must inspect them before further flight.
