Boeing 737 Max 10 wins FAA certification after years of delays
The approval clears Boeing’s largest 737 Max model for passenger service and allows sales to airlines. Boeing expects deliveries to begin in 2027.
The US Federal Aviation Administration certified Boeing’s 737 Max 10 for passenger service on October 20, 2026, clearing a major hurdle for the largest aircraft in the 737 Max family. The approval allows the plane to be sold to airlines after years of delays, though Boeing expects deliveries to begin in 2027.
Certification means the FAA has determined that the aircraft’s design meets safety standards following engineering reviews and flight testing, the Associated Press reported. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the review included thousands of hours of test flights. The decision completes certification of the four-model 737 Max lineup; the smaller Max 7 was cleared for airline operations in August.
Why the 737 Max 10 took longer to certify
The Max 10 had been expected to start flying in 2020. CNBC reported that increased scrutiny following two crashes involving other Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019, along with engineering changes, delayed its certification. Those changes included work on the Max 10’s engine anti-icing system.
Federal officials also reviewed a navigation-system glitch on the aircraft in the weeks before certification and determined that it was not a safety-of-flight issue, according to CNBC. Duffy told CNBC’s Phil LeBeau that safety was paramount while arguing that the United States should improve the pace of aircraft certification.
What approval means for Boeing and airlines
Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief Stephanie Pope said completing certification clears the path for deliveries. Boeing now expects those deliveries to start in 2027; it had said in its 2020 annual report that it expected the first delivery in 2023, according to the Associated Press. The company has not specified when in 2027 deliveries will begin.
More than 30 customers have ordered 1,555 Max 10s that Boeing has yet to deliver, the Associated Press reported. That represents more than 30% of its total 737 Max backlog. The report named United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Ryanair among major customers. Alaska Airlines ordered 105 Max 10s in January, with options for 35 more.
The plane typically seats 185 to 210 passengers, according to Boeing figures cited by the Associated Press, compared with 175 to 195 on the Max 9 and 160 to 180 on the Max 8. CNBC reported that the Max 10 can seat up to 230 people. Boeing introduced the single-aisle model at the 2017 Paris air show as it sought to compete with rival Airbus.
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Sources and context
- Boeing wins FAA approval for 737 Max 10 after years of delays as Duffy says certification process should be fasterCNBC
- FAA approves Boeing's 737 Max 10 for passenger serviceAssociated Press (republished by PBS NewsHour)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.