FAA Certifies Boeing 737 MAX 10, Clearing the Way for Deliveries

EVERETT, Washington, 20 October 2026 – The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday certified the Boeing 737 MAX 10, the largest version of Boeing’s best-selling jet, clearing the way for deliveries to start in the coming months, years later than first planned.

The approval completes the 737 MAX family. The smaller 737 MAX 7 was certified earlier this year, leaving the MAX 10 as the last model waiting. Airlines have ordered 1,555 of them, more than 30% of all 737 MAX orders, according to Boeing.

What the FAA approved

The FAA approved an amended type certificate for the 737-10 and updated Boeing’s production approval, which Leeham News describes as an updated Production Limitation Record. The news came as US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited Boeing’s factory in Everett, Aviation Week reported.

Boeing says the 737-10 is the first commercial airplane certified to the full extent of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, passed after the two fatal 737 MAX crashes. Its test programme included more than 2,000 flight hours and 1,000 ground test hours. Chris Payne, who leads Boeing’s 737 development programmes, called it a “disciplined, methodical campaign to validate every system”.

Boeing also says an enhanced Angle-of-Attack system will become standard across the 737 MAX family. Leeham News reports that it will be fitted to all new MAX jets, with retrofits starting on aircraft already in service. Faulty angle-of-attack readings played key roles in both MAX 8 accidents.

The plane

The MAX 10 seats up to 230 passengers in its maximum layout, or typically 185 to 210 in two classes, and flies up to 3,100 nm (5,740 km). That makes it the biggest but shortest-range member of the family. Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said it offers “the best seat economics in its class”.

Years of delays

Boeing launched the 737-10 at the Paris Air Show in June 2017 and originally planned for it to enter service in 2020, Aviation Week notes. The 2018 and 2019 crashes, the worldwide grounding and tighter certification rules pushed that back for years.

Approval appeared close in September 2026, but the FAA raised concerns about a flight-management software glitch, Leeham News reported. The regulator went ahead with a known bug it judged not to be safety-critical. Boeing kept building MAX 10s in the meantime: Aviation Week says 27 have already been rolled out.

Who gets it first, and when

WestJet is the launch customer, and Leeham News reports that the first MAX 10 fuselage assembled in July 2026 is earmarked for the Canadian airline. Other big buyers include United, Delta, American, Alaska, Ryanair, Pegasus and India’s Akasa Air. Aviation Week expects first deliveries in late 2026 or early 2027. Alaska Airlines is aiming to put its first one into service in April or May 2027, One Mile at a Time reported, while Ryanair expects the first of its 150 in mid-2027.

For passengers, the extra length means more seats rather than a different experience: American and Delta each plan at least 24 first class seats, and Alaska plans lie-flat beds on some of its MAX 10s, according to One Mile at a Time.

What happens next

In Europe, the FAA approval triggers the final steps of EASA’s own validation, which the agency told Aviation Week will take a few months. Boeing will build most MAX 10s on a new North Line in Everett as it pushes 737 production beyond 47 a month.

The MAX 10 is Boeing’s answer to the Airbus A321neo, which has outsold the larger 737s for years. See how the two compare in our A321neo vs 737 MAX 10 guide.

Read more

• Airbus A321neo vs Boeing 737 MAX 10: size, seats, range and orders
• Boeing 737 MAX 8 review: MCAS, the grounding and the comeback
• Airbus A321neo review
• Boeing 777-9: Boeing’s other long-delayed jet

Sources: Boeing press release, Leeham News, Aviation Week and One Mile at a Time, 20 October 2026.

Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 at its roll-out in Renton in November 2019 by lamblukas, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.