FAA certifies Boeing 737 MAX 10, but passengers wait until 2027

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified Boeing's 737 MAX 10 on 20 October 2026, clearing the largest 737 variant for delivery to airlines after years of delay. Passengers are unlikely to fly on it immediately: according to One Mile at a Time, Alaska Airlines is targeting April or May 2027 for its first aircraft in service.

What was approved

AeroTime reports that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy handed the certification documents to Boeing officials at a ceremony in Everett, Washington. The approval completes certification of the four main MAX variants, following the smaller MAX 7 in August 2026. Boeing said deliveries will begin in the coming months, according to AeroTime.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would keep holding Boeing to the highest safety standards as production begins, as quoted by One Mile at a Time. AirlineGeeks quotes Duffy calling the approval "a major win for American manufacturing".

AeroTime says the certification campaign involved nearly 1,000 flights, more than 2,000 flight-test hours and 1,000 hours of ground testing. Boeing says the MAX 10 is the first commercial aircraft certified to the full extent of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act.

Why it took so long

Boeing originally planned MAX 10 deliveries for 2020. AeroTime links the delay to tighter regulatory scrutiny after the two MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people, and to problems with the engine anti-ice system. It adds that a navigation-software issue disclosed in September 2026 also threatened approval. AirlineGeeks cites the same causes, along with an overhaul of the FAA's certification process.

The MAX 10 introduces an enhanced angle-of-attack system, since faulty sensor readings contributed to both crashes. Boeing says it monitors sensors, flags suspect readings, blocks faulty data or substitutes a default value, and alerts pilots to the affected sensor. A cockpit switch lets pilots silence an erroneous stick-shaker warning. Boeing says the system will become standard across MAX production and be available for retrofit.

Aircraft and customers

AeroTime says the MAX 10 seats up to 230 passengers, typically 185 to 210 in two classes, with a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles. Boeing has booked 1,555 orders from more than 30 customers, according to AeroTime; One Mile at a Time puts firm orders at nearly 1,500.

AirlineGeeks names WestJet as launch customer, with United, Delta, American, Alaska and Ryanair among confirmed buyers. One Mile at a Time says Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines each have 100 or more on order, with large orders also at Ryanair, WestJet, Pegasus Airlines and Akasa Air.

What this means for travellers

• Not yet in service: One Mile at a Time expects spring 2027 for first passenger flights. Alaska still needs further certification work on the pilots' heads-up display, which could take a few months.
• Premium cabins: the outlet reports American and Delta each plan at least 24 first-class seats, and Alaska intends flat beds and premium economy on a subfleet, a first for its narrow-bodies. These are airline plans as reported, not confirmed layouts.
• Seat counts: One Mile at a Time expects US airlines to stay under 200 seats, which is the writer's expectation rather than an announced policy.
• Routes: the sources do not say where the aircraft will first fly. Its 3,100 nautical mile range suits domestic and short-haul flying rather than ocean crossings.

Delivery schedules for individual airlines beyond Alaska have not been detailed in the sources.

Sources: AeroTime, AirlineGeeks, One Mile at a Time.