by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:50 AM ET, Tue January 30, 2024
In response to criticism from travelers and the United
States Government, Boeing withdrew its request for a safety exemption allowing
the aircraft manufacturer to deliver new 737 MAX 7 planes despite not meeting
safety standards.
According to The
Associated Press, Boeing officials previously asked federal regulators for
the exemption so it could begin delivering the 737 Max 7 planes, even though a
test flight exposed an issue with an anti-icing system that could overheat and
break off during a flight.
Following a January 5 incident that saw a door
plug ripped off midflight that left a gaping hole in the fuselage of an
Alaska Airlines MAX 9, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell Tammy Duckworth urged the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deny the safety exemption request.
On Monday, Boeing withdrew the request, saying the company
is “committed to being transparent, listening to all our stakeholders and
taking action to strengthen safety and quality at Boeing.”
In response, Senator Cantwell said, “This is good news. I
hope this means they can quickly develop a compliant design across other MAX
planes.”
The issues with the anti-icing system also impact other
models of the 737 MAX family that are already flying, but FAA officials
reported no incidents of the overheating problem. Safety officials warned of
the potential issues since the engine inlets are made from carbon composite
materials instead of metal.
Boeing has been working on a fix for the planes
already in service, with the FAA warning pilots to “limit the de-icing
system's use in dry conditions” to avoid any potential issues, including the
engines getting too hot and parts breaking off and striking the plane.
Safety officials said the broken pieces could break windows and
cause rapid decompression.
Last week, Southwest Airlines said it intends
to take fewer deliveries of Boeing’s controversial 737 MAX plane. The carrier
also eliminated the MAX 7 model from its 2024 fleet line-up plans.
"The company's current capacity plans do not assume
placing the MAX 7 in service this year and is subject to Boeing's production
capability," Southwest said in a statement.
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