The Seattle Times is reporting Boeing has withdrawn a request to the FAA for an exemption that would allow it to certify the 737 MAX 7 with a known safety deficiency. The company said Monday it will instead fix the issue with overheating engine inlets as part of the certification process and delay the smallest version of the MAX line's service entry. Boeing formally submitted the application for the exemption within days of a door plug detaching from an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 that put the planemaker under intense scrutiny. The exemption request prompted Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., to call on the FAA to reject it.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/290321