Boeing hopes to deliver the first of 41 737-600s to launch customer SAS in September, pending European Joint Aviation Authorities approval, expected by the end of August.
The manufacturer received type certification for the -600, the smallest member of the Next Generation (NG) family, on 18 August from the US Federal Aviation Administration. The milestone means that the -600, the third version to be certificated to date, is the first member of the family to meet the original schedule.
In the case of the -600, this was established in 1995 following the SAS order. Certification was accomplished after a 6.5-month-long flight test programme involving three aircraft, 800 flight hours, 459 ground test hours and 635 flights. The programme entailed around 20 more flight hours than originally scheduled, some of which were known to have involved tests to modifications made to reduce floor vibration and improve ride quality.
Boeing also received FAA approval for the low emissions dual annular combustor configured CFM International CFM56-7B engine, required to meet strict environmental emissions regulations in Scandinavia. The certification is applicable to all NG737 variants, adds Boeing.
Source: Flight International
