By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Boeing said on Wednesday it was making progress in developing a permanent solution to a problem with the 737 MAX’s engine anti-icing system that has delayed certification of the smallest model, the MAX 7, and the largest, the MAX 10. .
A problem with the anti-icing system could cause it to overheat and potentially cause engine failure.
A source told Reuters that Boeing plans to conduct flight tests on the anti-icing fix later this year and said certification of the MAX 7 could be delayed until mid-2025.
Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said in January that the de-icing problem could be resolved “within a year.” Boeing has 35 MAX 7 and MAX 10 aircraft in inventory.
Boeing, under scrutiny for its safety record after a MAX 9 cabin panel exploded in flight, in January withdrew an application filed with the Federal Aviation Administration last year seeking an exemption from a safety standard for the MAX 7 over the issue, which pushed back potential certification until 2025.
The Air Current, an aviation publication, reported earlier Wednesday that Boeing’s solution would delay certification of the MAX 7 and 10 until 2025 at the earliest.
The FAA, which has repeatedly refused to submit a timetable for approval, said Wednesday it would “thoroughly review any design submitted by Boeing.”
In January, Senator Tammy Duckworth urged Boeing to drop the exemption request, saying the problem could “cause the engine nacelle to rupture and fall. This could result in debris entering the fuselage, which could potentially endanger passengers seated at the windows behind the wing.
Boeing said no safety incidents have been observed in service resulting from engine inlet overheating.
The planemaker issued guidelines last June for airlines to follow established procedures when using the MAX’s engine anti-icing system to deal with potential overheating, and the FAA made it mandatory in last August the existing procedure to deactivate the engine anti-icing system when it is no longer necessary. .
Southwest Airlines, the largest buyer of the MAX 7, said in January that it no longer expected deliveries of the model this year.
Boeing said it must first get FAA approval for the MAX 7 before it can get the larger, better-selling MAX 10 certified.
After resuming service of its best-selling MAX family of aircraft following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, Boeing at one point predicted it would gain certification approval for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 by the end of 2022.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Jamie Freed)
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