Southwest Airlines has taken the Boeing 737 Max 7 out of its fleet plans as regulators haven't yet certified the smallest model of the manufacturer's best-selling plane.
Southwest became the latest of the major airlines this week to rethink its fleet plans because of certification delays at Boeing.
Earlier this week, United Airlines said it was removing the the 737 Max 10, the largest model of the Max family, from its internal fleet plans after delays with certification.
Scrutiny on Boeing has mounted in recent weeks after a door panel blew out midflight from a 737 Max 9 that was operated by Alaska Airlines on Jan. 5, prompting the FAA to ground that model.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told CNBC earlier this week that even before the Alaska Airlines incident, the agency had concluded it needed a more "hands-on approach" with the certification of the Max 7 and Max 10 aircraft.
Persons:
Max, Mike Whitaker, Whitaker
Organizations:
Southwest Airlines, Boeing, Max, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, FAA, CNBC
Locations:
Alaska