Plane maker will ‘incorporate an engineering solution’ during certification process instead of seeking safety exemption

Boeing has withdrawn a request for a safety exemption for a new version of its 737 Max jet that would have expedited its approval, raising questions over when the plane will enter service. 

The US plane maker has come under mounting pressure to withdraw the request for the 737 Max 7 following the blowout of a section of the fuselage on an Alaska Airlines aircraft earlier this month.

The incident, which involved the Max 9 model, has dealt a heavy blow to Boeing’s reputation and raised numerous safety and quality control questions at the company. 

Last week Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth urged the Federal Aviation Administration, the aviation safety regulator, not to certify the Max 7, based on concerns that the exemption request, if granted, would endanger passengers.