Southwest CEO expects Boeing MAX 7 to be certified around August 2026

By Doyinsola Oladipo and ⁠Allison Lampert

NEW ⁠YORK, ‍Dec 11 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines expects Boeing’s 737 MAX 7 to be certified by around August 2026, with the ‍U.S. carrier to start flying the small single-aisle jet ​during the first quarter of 2027, CEO Bob Jordan told Reuters on ​Thursday.

“Boeing has said kind of mid next summer,” Jordan said on the sidelines of an event held by the Wings Club in New York City. "I ​would guess it'll be certified, you know, maybe, August of (2026)."

Jordan had previously told analysts that he expected the certification ​of Boeing's smallest MAX jet sometime during the first half of 2026, with the ‌aircraft to enter service as early as the last quarter of next year.

But the MAX 7 is ​not part of Southwest's current 2026 ⁠fleet planning. Southwest is the launch customer for the MAX 7.

Boeing is ramping up production of ‌its strong-selling MAX jets, but has faced delays on 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 trying to ‌certify its widebody 777X jet.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has previously told analysts he anticipates the certification of the MAX 7 and larger MAX 10 jet ‍in 2026, without giving a more specific time frame. Boeing on Thursday referred to Ortberg's comments.

U.S. ⁠regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, has said it plans to propose changes to speed certification of new commercial airplanes.

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Diane Craft and Andrea Ricci )

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