The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration was expected to certify Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 as early as 20 October, clearing the way for the long-delayed aircraft to progress towards customer deliveries. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was expected to promote the decision during a visit to Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington, although the FAA had not formally published its certification notice at the time of reporting.
The FAA’s Type Certification Board completed its review on 16 October, one of the final formal stages before approval. Boeing still had to submit project-completion documentation before the final certification signatures. The regulator had also concluded that a navigation-software issue identified during the campaign did not present a safety concern or require correction as a condition of certification.
The MAX 10 is the largest variant of Boeing’s 737 MAX family and was originally scheduled to enter service in 2020. Its certification campaign comprised 976 flights, more than 2,060 flight hours and approximately 1,040 hours of ground testing. Approval would allow Boeing to begin the delivery process for the aircraft, with initial customer deliveries still targeted for 2027. Until certification, the MAX 10 cannot be delivered for normal commercial passenger operations.