Boeing Withdraws Safety Exemption Request for 737 Max 7 After Door Plug Blowout

Facing intense scrutiny over its quality control practices, Boeing has withdrawn its request for a safety exemption needed to certify a new model of the 737 Max plane. The move comes after a door panel blew out on a different version of the plane, causing damage to an Alaska Airlines flight. Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell and Tammy Duckworth had called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deny Boeing’s safety exemption request. In response, Boeing stated that it is committed to transparency and to strengthening safety and quality. The safety standard in question relates to an anti-icing system, which affects other models of the 737 Max that are already in operation. Boeing had requested the exemption until 2026, but will now incorporate an engineering solution into the certification process. The grounding of the 737 Max fleet followed two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that claimed 346 lives. Boeing now aims to assist airlines in restoring operations and has expressed regret for the disruption caused.