Boeing Wins Senator Support For Request For Waiving Deadline Extension For New 737 MAX Variants Certifications

A Republican senator and a significant customer came forward in support of Boeing Co's BA, trying to convince the U.S. Congress to extend the deadline to win certification of two new 737 MAX variants.
The company faces a late December deadline for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify the MAX 7 and MAX 10.
After that date, all planes must have modern cockpit alerting systems certified by the FAA, delaying the new MAX aircraft' deployment unless Congress grants a deadline extension.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Reuters he supports attaching a MAX deadline waiver to a spending bill or another measure before Congress.
"We're going to fight as hard as we can to get Boeing the opportunity to prove that the plane works, and it does work," Graham said on the sidelines of an event.
In 2017, United Airlines Holdings Inc UAL ordered 100 MAX 10s. Without an extension, United would convert some orders to MAX 8 and 9s, Kirby said, "and we're going to buy more Airbus 321 airplanes," which would impact Boeing's U.S. workers.
The FAA has asked Boeing to reassess its safety paperwork for the 737 MAX 7, saying some key documents submitted are incomplete and others need a reassessment.
The move marks another setback for Boeing's push to win approval for the 737 MAX 7, a year-end legal deadline.
Price Action: BA shares are up 0.25% at $138.74 premarket on the last check Thursday.