US to certify Boeing 737 MAX 10 Tuesday, sources say

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to announce on Tuesday, October 20, that the Federal Aviation Administration has approved the Boeing ↗ 0.64% 737 MAX 10, sources told Reuters. Duffy is scheduled to appear at a Boeing factory in Everett, Washington, to promote the certification of the larger version of the planemaker's best-selling jet, according to Reuters.reuters.com

The approval would complete Boeing's four-model MAX family. The MAX 10 was originally expected to enter service in 2020. Years of delays followed the 2018 and 2019 crashes, which brought tighter FAA oversight and a more complex certification process, Leeham News and Analysis reported.leehamnews.com

Final Hurdles Cleared

The FAA's Type Certification Board, a panel of agency management officials, finished a key safety review on Friday, October 16. That review is one of the last steps before a certification decision, Reuters reported at the time. Asked about timing, the FAA said that "safety dictates the certification timeline." After the board's review, Boeing still had to submit a Project Statement of Completion before final signatures, Aviacionline reported.aviacionline.com+1

Progress had stalled in late September after Boeing disclosed a flaw in 737 MAX flight-management software. In certain go-around situations, the flaw can stop automated flight-path guidance, and the FAA paused certification to assess how much extra work it creates for pilots. On October 2, the FAA decided the issue was not a safety concern and did not require a fix before certification. An engine anti-ice problem found in 2023 had already delayed both the MAX 7 and MAX 10. The MAX 7 received its type certificate earlier this year, per Leeham.aerospaceglobalnews.com+1

Stakes for Boeing and Airlines

Boeing is in an unofficial quiet period ahead of its October 27 earnings call and has referred questions to the FAA, Leeham reported. The MAX 10 has nearly 1,500 orders, about 30% of Boeing's outstanding 737 backlog, according to Reuters figures cited by Aerospace Global News.leehamnews.com+1

Major US airlines with orders include United Airlines ↘ 0.52% (167 jets), Alaska Airlines ↘ 3.27% (161), American Airlines ↘ 1.68% (112) and Delta Air Lines ↘ 0.98% (100), according to Cirium data cited by Leeham. About a dozen customer jets are already built and waiting. Alaska expects its first MAX 10 in spring 2027, Aviacionline reported. Boeing has said it is aiming for certification in 2026 and customer deliveries in 2027.boeing.com+2

Certification would not end Boeing's regulatory work. The widebody 777X has slipped to at least 2027 while Boeing works with GE Aerospace ↘ 0.81% on an engine seal durability issue, Leeham noted. The outlet added that the MAX 10 saga "has shown that further complications are always possible."leehamnews.com