FAA Could Certify Boeing 737 MAX 10 as Early as Next Week, Reuters Reports
Why It MattersCertification of the largest MAX variant would clear the way for MAX 10 deliveries to begin and would complete the 737 MAX family's approval, a milestone for large narrowbody supply.
The FAA could certify Boeing's 737 MAX 10 as early as next week, following a meeting of the agency's Type-Certification Board on Friday. A final FAA management meeting remains before the agency decides whether to approve the aircraft, the largest variant in Boeing's 737 MAX family.
Boeing completed the MAX 10's final planned certification flight in July, after 976 flights and more than 2,060 flight hours. The testing covered landing gear, braking systems, engine anti-ice modifications and an enhanced angle-of-attack system, and Boeing has since continued completing system safety assessments and other documentation required for FAA review. "We're in close coordination with them (FAA), and I think you're going to see that certification very soon," Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said at a September investor conference.
The process was briefly interrupted in late September, when the FAA identified a software issue that could affect automated navigation during certain missed-approach procedures. An agency review board determined the problem did not present a safety concern because pilots retain full control of the aircraft, and certification work continued while Boeing develops a permanent software update. The FAA certified the MAX 7, the smallest variant in the family, in August. Boeing has already begun producing MAX 10 aircraft and continues to target initial customer deliveries in 2027; Ortberg said in September that the MAX 10 accounts for approximately 30% of the company's 737 backlog.
