FAA Certifies Boeing 737 MAX 10 After Years of Delays
The FAA has granted type certification to the Boeing 737 MAX 10, clearing the way for deliveries to begin in the coming months.
By The Aviation Hub
4 min read
The Federal Aviation Administration has certified the Boeing 737 MAX 10, Boeing announced on 20 October 2026 at a ceremony in Everett, Washington. The approval grants the amended type certificate needed for the manufacturer to begin delivering the largest variant of the MAX family, with first handovers expected in the coming months.
The certification ends a development programme that began with a first flight on 18 June 2021 and was originally intended to place the aircraft into commercial service in 2020. AeroTime reports that the programme also faced a navigation-software issue disclosed as recently as September 2026, which had threatened to hold up approval even at that late stage.
What the FAA Approval Covers
The FAA issued an amended type certificate for the 737 MAX 10, covering the aircraft's design. As Airways Magazine explains, type certification is separate from manufacturing approval and from the individual airworthiness certificates that each completed aircraft requires before delivery.
The FAA separately restored Boeing's authority to issue airworthiness certificates for new 737 MAX and 787 aircraft under agency oversight in July. Tuesday's decision therefore resolves the design-approval question that was the final regulatory hurdle before deliveries could proceed.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said: "The FAA's decision follows a thorough review of the aircraft's design and safety requirements," according to AeroTime. The agency added that it would continue its oversight as Boeing begins production of the model.
What Caused the Years of Delays
Airline Geeks reports that the MAX 10 was initially expected to enter commercial service in 2020 or 2021. Three main factors pushed certification well beyond that target: tighter regulatory scrutiny following the two MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people; a broader overhaul of the FAA's certification processes; and problems with the variant's engine anti-ice system.
The MAX 10 is also the last of the four main MAX variants to receive certification. AeroTime notes that the smaller MAX 7, which faced its own prolonged delays, received FAA approval in August 2026.
Airways Magazine's 737-10 certification-delay timeline traces the programme from its original 2020 service target through the final regulatory review, and is worth reading for those following the successive forecasts and technical reviews.
The Enhanced Angle-of-Attack System
A significant technical addition on the MAX 10 is an enhanced angle-of-attack system. AeroTime explains that faulty angle-of-attack sensor readings contributed to both MAX crashes, making this system a particularly scrutinised element of the certification.
The new system monitors sensor behaviour, identifies suspect readings, and blocks faulty data from reaching other aircraft systems or substitutes a default value. An alert on the pilots' primary flight displays identifies the affected sensor, reducing workload during sensor failures.
The changes also include a cockpit switch allowing pilots to silence an erroneous stick-shaker warning. Boeing says the enhanced system will become standard across all MAX production and will be available as a retrofit on aircraft already in service.
Boeing 737 MAX 10 Certification Testing and Regulatory Standards
AeroTime reports that the certification campaign involved nearly 1,000 flights, more than 2,000 flight-test hours and 1,000 hours of ground testing.
The MAX 10 is, according to Boeing, the first commercial aircraft certified to the full extent of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act. That legislation introduced requirements for documenting safety assessments and evaluating how pilots interact with aircraft systems.
Orders, Customers and Capacity
Boeing lists 1,555 orders for the MAX 10 from more than 30 customers, accounting for more than 30% of its unfilled MAX orderbook, according to Airways Magazine. Canada's WestJet is the launch customer, with Airline Geeks confirming that other confirmed buyers include United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Ryanair.
The aircraft offers typical two-class seating for 185 to 210 passengers and a maximum of 230 seats. Boeing lists its range at up to 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 km). The certification gives Boeing a larger single-aisle option to compete directly with the Airbus A321neo.
You can explore the full specification and operator history of the 737 MAX family using our Aircraft Search.
What Boeing and the Government Said
Stephanie Pope, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: "Completing the certification program clears the path for us to deliver a Boeing airplane that will set a new standard in commercial aviation," as quoted by AeroTime.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy presented the certification documents to Boeing officials at the Everett ceremony. "After extensive safety reviews, including thousands of hours of test flights, the team at the FAA is ready to approve this critical aircraft for sale," Airline Geeks quotes Duffy as saying.
The Bottom Line
The FAA's certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 closes one of the longest-running approval processes in recent commercial aviation history. With 1,555 orders on the books and WestJet as launch customer, Boeing now moves into a delivery phase that was originally planned to begin six years ago.
The design approval is in place. The manufacturer's next test is whether it can now build and hand over aircraft at the rate its customers have been waiting for.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight.
Advertise with us Your brand, in front of an aviation audience Home page and in-article placements, sold directly, one advertiser per slot. From £250 a year. See the rates
