FAA certifies Boeing's 737 MAX 10 after years of delays, clearing it for delivery
The US Federal Aviation Administration certified Boeing's 737 MAX 10 on Tuesday, 20 October. It is the largest model in Boeing's best-selling jet family and the last to win approval. The plane was meant to start flying in 2020.
What the FAA required
The FAA said the MAX 10 had to include improvements required under the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, along with National Transportation Safety Board recommendations.
Those include changes to the flight-control system with an enhanced angle-of-attack sensor, which measures the aircraft's pitch. CNBC said engineering changes to an engine anti-icing system were also needed.
The approval came weeks after officials reviewed a navigation system glitch on the aircraft and decided it was not a safety-of-flight issue, CNBC reported.
We will continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards as the company begins production of the 737 MAX-10.
Why it took so long
Certification slowed after two 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 and other safety problems at Boeing. The smallest model, the MAX 7, was approved in early August.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC's Phil LeBeau that safety is paramount but the US needs a faster process. "It takes Boeing, to certify an aircraft in Europe, about half the time, less than half the time that it does in the U.S.," he said.
| Model | Size | FAA status |
|---|---|---|
| 737 MAX 7 | Smallest in the family | Approved early August 2026 |
| 737 MAX 10 | Largest, up to 230 seats | Certified 20 October 2026 |
Sources: FAA, CNBC.
What airlines get
CNBC said airlines can start flying passengers soon after planes are certified, but it can take months to work them into schedules.
United CEO Scott Kirby said in August that the airline had waited so long that the lie-flat seats it expected for the plane no longer made sense and were sitting in a warehouse. Alaska Airlines said last month it plans lie-flat seats on some of its MAX 10s.
