The US Federal Aviation Administration has given final approval to Boeing’s 737 MAX 10, the largest version of the company’s best-selling single-aisle airplane. The decision, announced on Tuesday, allows the US planemaker to start delivering the model to customers after a lengthy wait.
Boeing has said the MAX 10 will be a major source of cash flow as it recovers from years of crises and controversies that pushed back the aircraft’s timeline. Airlines have ordered more than 1,550 of the jets so far. According to IBA, an aviation analytics consultancy, the model makes up 31% of Boeing’s outstanding 737 backlog.
Competition with Airbus and China’s COMAC
The aircraft is central to Boeing’s battle with Europe’s Airbus for orders in the lucrative single-aisle jetliner market. China’s COMAC C919 trails both in third place.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke at Boeing’s plant in Everett, Washington, on Tuesday to promote the certification. “We want to beat the Europeans, we want to beat the Chinese,” Duffy said. He added that reaching that goal would require faster approvals for new aircraft, a reference to his pledge to speed up airplane certification.
The MAX 10 can carry up to 230 passengers, compared with up to 195 for the MAX 9 and 160 for the MAX 7. Officials and analysts have noted that delays allowed Airbus’s A321neo to win a bigger share of the large single-aisle segment. The larger jet is seen as essential to several carriers’ expansion plans, and major customers include United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Ryanair, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.
Boeing has already built a handful of MAX 10s that are waiting to be delivered. Its shares closed down about 0.5% on the day of the announcement.
Safety scrutiny shaped a slow certification path
Boeing has faced a tougher certification process since two fatal crashes involving the MAX 8, in 2018 and 2019, killed 346 people. Scrutiny of the company’s production and quality systems grew further after a mid-air cabin panel blew out of a nearly new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 in January 2024.
The FAA approved the smaller MAX 7 in August, following a review that lasted more than eight years. For the MAX 10, the regulator required significant improvements, including updates to the flight control system and an enhanced angle-of-attack sensor. Those changes will be rolled out to the existing fleet in the coming years. A problem with the anti-ice system on 737 MAX engines, which emerged in 2023, caused further delays to certification of both the MAX 7 and MAX 10.
Boeing also disclosed a glitch in late September in the latest update to the 737 MAX’s navigation software, which threatened to push back certification again. The FAA concluded that the issue did not pose a safety concern and did not require Boeing to fix it before certifying the aircraft.
Next steps for WestJet and the 777-9
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Senior Vice President Mike Sinnett, who oversees development programs, said certification from Transport Canada and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency should be completed in “probably a couple months.” After that, Boeing can deliver the first MAX 10 to WestJet, a Canada-based airline, which is expected to take place early next year.
In July, Boeing opened a new production line at its Everett plant to boost 737 output. The aircraft is also assembled in nearby Renton.
Some members of the 737 MAX certification team will now support work on the 777-9, Boeing’s largest jetliner in production, which is six years behind schedule. The company has said it expects to complete certification of that model and begin deliveries in 2027.
Chris Payne, who oversaw the MAX 10 certification program at Boeing, struck an optimistic tone about speeding up future approvals. He said the administration is working closely with the FAA and Boeing, and that the parties are holding productive discussions about what the certification process should look like going forward.
