Southwest Airlines is anticipating the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 7 by August 2026, with plans for the aircraft to enter into service with the airline the following year. As the world’s largest Boeing 737 MAX operator, Southwest currently has almost 300 MAX jets in its fleet and has a remaining order of over 400 from the US planemaker.

MAX 7 Certification Expected in Summer 2026

After multiple delays, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is on track to certify the 737 MAX 7, the shortest variant in the 737 MAX series, by next summer. According to Reuters, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan stated that he expects this to happen around August of 2026, with Boeing informing the airline of a potential mid-summer certification. Southwest holds the majority of orders for the MAX 7, with around 90% of all orders for the variant.

In July, Simple Flying reported that Jordan had previously estimated the MAX 7 to be certified in the first half of 2026, with plans for it to enter into service before the end of that year. However, due to further regulatory complications, it is now likely that Southwest will not be able to fly the MAX 7 until the first quarter of 2027.

Jordan shared his thoughts on the timeline for certification at a Wings Club event in New York this week, stating, “Boeing has said kind of mid-next summer. I would guess it’ll be certified, you know, maybe, August of (2026).

Delayed for Over Four Years

Southwest Airlines is expected to be the first to operate the MAX 7 once it enters into service, as the aircraft is well-suited for the carrier’s network and business model. Originally scheduled to begin operations in 2022, the MAX 7 has faced over four years of delays, and is currently not included in Southwest’s 2026 fleet plans.

The first 737 MAX variant to receive regulatory approval for commercial operations was the MAX 8, which was certified in March 2017. However, the aircraft was grounded in early 2019 after two fatal crashes, and Boeing has faced additional setbacks with the progress of the MAX 7 and MAX 10 due to an engine de-icing issue.

In August, Boeing withdrew a request for an exemption related to the aircraft’s Stall Management Yaw Damper (SMYD) system, but has since made progress in resolving the engine de-icing problem. The company announced last month that it had completed the redesign of a new anti-icing system for the MAX, which will be installed on new aircraft and retrofitted on existing planes.

Fleet Modernization Continues

As Southwest continues to replace its older Boeing 737 models, which currently make up over 500 of its 737NG series aircraft, the airline plans to slowly phase out these older planes as it introduces newly-built 737 MAX aircraft.