Particle.news

Boeing Finishes 737‑7 and 737‑10 Certification Flight Tests

Work to close development assurance reviews followed by system safety assessments will produce the final materials Boeing will submit to the FAA for regulatory review.

Overview

  • Boeing announced that the planned certification flight tests for its smallest and largest 737 MAX models, the 737‑7 and 737‑10, have concluded and the program has moved to regulatory closeout.
  • The 737‑10 campaign logged 976 test flights, more than 2,060 flight hours and about 1,040 ground test hours using three dedicated test aircraft that were often flown in parallel.
  • Test teams validated specific technical requirements including the main landing gear, brakes on wet runways with maximum‑energy stops, the redesigned Engine Anti‑Ice system, and the enhanced angle‑of‑attack system.
  • Boeing reports progress on certification paperwork with development assurance review 3 complete, review 4 roughly 60% finished and system safety assessments about 32% complete as it prepares to submit deliverables to the FAA; the FAA’s recent restoration of Boeing’s authority to issue final airworthiness certificates means regulators will now review those materials under continued oversight.
  • Boeing reaffirmed a 2026 certification target and 2027 customer deliveries, a timeline that would relieve airline delivery shortfalls and shape the company’s planned production ramp and fleet plans.