Boeing withdrew its request for a Federal Aviation Administration exemption for the 737 MAX 7 after the January 2024 Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door plug blowout sharpened scrutiny of its certification plans. The company had sought relief for both the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10, but lawmakers criticized the request and political pressure rose quickly.
FAA exemption request
The exemption would have let Boeing move the 737 MAX 7 toward certification under a proposal tied to operational procedures already used on currently flying 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 aircraft. Boeing engineers had identified an anti-ice issue that could arise when crews kept the engine anti-ice system running in dry air conditions.
That issue centers on the CFM LEAP-1B engines used across the Boeing 737 MAX family. In August 2023, the FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive for the MAX 8 and MAX 9 requiring flight crews to manually switch off the engine anti-ice system after five minutes when icing is not actually present.
August 2023 directive
The directive applies in dry air conditions where icing is not present, with the concern appearing mainly between 20,000 and 30,000 feet in warm, dry air around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Boeing said continuous use under those conditions could overheat the carbon-composite inlet structure. Excessive heat could damage the inlet structure and potentially send debris separating from the engine and striking the fuselage.
Some crews have relied on post-it notes in the cockpit as reminders for the 5-minute procedure. Boeing’s proposal for the 737 MAX 7 would have allowed certification if crews followed those same operational limits, but the company withdrew the exemption request after the Alaska Airlines incident intensified scrutiny of its safety culture and certification practices.
737 MAX 10 pressure
The withdrawal leaves Boeing without the exemption path it had been using to advance the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10. The 737 MAX 7 still has 300+ Boeing 737 MAX 7 orders tied to its certification path, while the 737 MAX 10 has 1,400 orders waiting on the same broader regulatory outcome.
For airlines and crews already working under the FAA directive, the procedure does not change. For Boeing, the immediate question is whether the company will pursue a different certification path that avoids the exemption it just abandoned.
