Boeing expects 737 MAX 10 certification soon

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company’s long-delayed 737 MAX 10 is expected to receive FAA certification “very soon.”

Speaking at Morgan Stanley’s Laguna Conference, Ortberg said Boeing had three remaining deliverables to complete. He added that the FAA’s review of the required documentation was more extensive than the process for the Dash 7, but said Boeing was working closely with the regulator on the certification.

Ortberg reiterated that flight testing for the largest 737 MAX variant has been completed, with the certification process now in the documentation phase. Boeing has already begun building its first production MAX 10 aircraft in Washington, with the variant accounting for around 30% of the company’s current backlog.

The 737 MAX 10’s target certification date has been delayed several times over the past six years, largely due to supply chain issues, the fallout from the 2018–19 MAX crisis and problems with the aircraft’s anti-ice system. However, progress toward certification has accelerated over the past two years.

Ortberg also provided an update on the similarly delayed 777X after Morgan Stanley analyst asked about media reports suggesting some customers were concerned that the aircraft’s technology may already be outdated, AirlineGeeks reported.

The CEO said there had been no changes to the number of 777X aircraft initially ordered and that Boeing was addressing any concerns directly with its customers.

“They’re contract discussions we’re having with our customers,” he said. “And I think we’ve got that well understood and well contained within our estimate to complete out. I don’t want to negotiate publicly on who’s getting what airplane, but I think that’s not a big issue for us. It’s something we’ve contemplated.”

Ortberg said flight testing of the 777X is continuing, although the aircraft has yet to receive Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS) certification. He said the delay is due to an issue with the mid-seal on the engines.

“Until we get the mid-seal certification plan complete, we can’t get authorisation to start that ETOPS,” he said. “We’re expecting that very soon. GE is working that diligently. I think they have to do a little more testing than what we originally planned. I think they’re still confident in the fix. So, we’ve got to get that done.”

Ortberg said some testing could extend into next year, but Boeing still expects to begin 777X deliveries in 2027.