WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Southwest Airlines Chief Executive Bob Jordan said on Wednesday the carrier is not counting on deploying the Boeing MAX 7 this year, which is still awaiting certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Jordan told reporters Southwest needs about six months from the time the FAA approves the MAX 7 variant to put it into service.
“We are not counting on it to be in service in 2023,” Jordan said, adding his “best guess” is it will be in service by Southwest in “early 2024.”
Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen earlier on Wednesday declined to comment on the timeline of when the agency might approve the MAX 7.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Valerie Insinna; Editing by Chris Reese)
