The certification process of the Boeing 737-7 has been anything but straight forward and easy. While the 737 MAX family of aircraft has already been operating for years already the largest and smallest variants are only now completing their certification process. The first of the two to get the green light to enter commercial service is the smallest Boeing 737-7.
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The Boeing 737-7 Is Ready to Enter Service
Finally after years of delays Boeing has finally received the FAA green light for the Boeing 737-7 to enter commercial service.
The aircraft is the smallest variant of the latest MAX generation of Boeing 737s. With it entering service the lineup is almost complete.
Boeing is only now missing the largest 737 aircraft to receive FAA certification and then all 4 MAX variants will be cleared to enter service.
Going back to the 737-7, this is a rather niche aircraft. It’s not a design that many airlines bought into. It is manly an aircraft designed to accomodate the needs of one specific carrier, Southwest.
Southwest has been waiting for years to get its hands on this aircraft and had to redesign its entire fleet strategy with the aircraft certification delays. Delays that might have also made the carrier more vulnerable and exposed to private equity speculation. But that’s a topic for another post.
On the other side of the pond almost any carriers ordered this specific Boeing 737 design. The only airline to have bought into the project from Europe is Luxair the tiny airline of Luxembourg.
Boeing 737-7 Certification Arrives While Waiting For the 777X
What the clearing for commercial service of the remaining Boeing 737 MAX aircraft means from another standpoint is that, there will still be some time to wait for the clearance of the Boeing 777X.
Boeing just received FAA clearance for the 737 MAX 7 and shortly will presumably also receive it for the largest variant of the family, the MAX 10.
That means that there is still some time to wait before the OEM will finally get the green light for the new generation of the largest airliner currently in production, the Boeing 777X.
Hopefully this doesn’t translate, further down the road, to more delays. Also it’ll be interesting to see and understand exactly which Boeing 777Xs will be delivered to clients. We already know Emirates has rejected having any of the first batch aircraft handed over to them. Will Lufthansa, the launch client of the 777X do the same?
| Spec | 737-7 | 737-8 | 737-9 | 737-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats (two-class) | 135-160 | 160-180 | 175-195 | 185-210 |
| Maximum Seats | 172 | 210 | 220 | 230 |
| Maximum takeoff weight (Kg) | 80.280 | 82.640 | 88.310 | 89.760 |
| Range (KM) | 7.040 | 6.480 | 6.110 | 5.740 |
| Range (NM) | 3.800 | 3.500 | 3.300 | 3.100 |
| Length (m) | 35,6 | 39,5 | 42,1 | 43,8 |
| Wingspan (m) | 35,9 | 35,9 | 35,9 | 35,9 |
| Height (m) | 12,3 | 12,3 | 12,3 | 12,3 |
| Engine | LEAP-1B by CFM International | LEAP-1B by CFM International | LEAP-1B by CFM International | LEAP-1B by CFM International |