Boeing is withdrawing a request for a safety exemption for a new MAX series jet that would have allowed U.S. regulators to speed up its approval, a decision that comes as the plane maker faces heightened scrutiny in the wake of a midair accident earlier this month.

Boeing confirmed Tuesday that it would withdraw the request, made last year to the Federal Aviation Administration, related to the new 737 MAX 7 jet’s de-icing system.

“While we are confident that the proposed time-limited exemption for that system follows established FAA processes to ensure safe operation, we will instead incorporate an engineering solution that will be completed during the certification process,” Boeing said in a statement to Dow Jones Newswires.

The decision comes amid pressure from lawmakers to drop the request in the wake of a midair blowout of a door plug on a 737 MAX 9 jet flown by Alaska Airlines on Jan. 5, and adds uncertainty to the certification timeline of the MAX 7. Before the accident, Boeing had been expecting certification of the MAX 7 and the longer MAX 10—both are already delayed—early this year.

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