FAA certifies Boeing 737 MAX 10, paving way for deliveries

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified the Boeing 737-10, the largest variant of the 737 MAX family, paving the way for Boeing to begin deliveries in the coming months.

The certification completes the 737 MAX family, which offers airlines a range of single-aisle aircraft built around a common architecture. The 737-10 expands the family’s capabilities while retaining this shared design approach.

The FAA said it issued an amended type certificate confirming that the aircraft meets all applicable design and safety requirements, along with an updated Production Limitation Record authorising its production.

“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,” said Sean P. Duffy, U.S. Transportation Secretary. “This is a major win for American manufacturing and our nation’s status as a global aviation powerhouse. We invented flight, we pioneered air travel, and we are going to continue leading the way in aviation safety and innovation.”

“The FAA’s decision follows a thorough review of the aircraft’s design and safety requirements,” said Bryan Bedford, FAA Administrator. “We will continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards as the company begins production of the 737 MAX-10.”

Before granting certification, the FAA required Boeing to incorporate key safety improvements to address requirements under the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act and recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). These included updates to the flight-control system and an enhanced angle-of-attack sensor, which measures the aircraft’s pitch.

Alaska Airlines, welcomed the FAA's certification of the aircraft, describing it as a pivotal milestone that opens new possibilities for its guests.

“The MAX 10 is an important part of Alaska’s long-term fleet strategy and our future,” said Ben Minicucci, CEO, Alaska Air Group. “These modern, fuel-efficient airplanes will help us connect more people to more of the world, and on at least 25 of them, our new Aurora lie-flat suites will raise the bar for comfort on transcontinental flights. Certification of the MAX 10 has been a rigorous, deliberate process, and we respect the work the FAA and Boeing have put into it. We appreciate the thoroughness of the agency’s review, and we’re grateful to Boeing for its effort in bringing this vision to life.”

In January, Alaska Airlines announced an order for 105 additional 737 MAX 10 aircraft, its largest aircraft order in the company’s history. The airline has firm orders for 168 aircraft across the 737 MAX family, with most of them being MAX 10s.

Alaska plans to equip at least 25 of its transcontinental MAX 10 aircraft with 12 Aurora Suites each, marking the first time the airline will offer lie-flat seating on its 737 fleet.

The airline currently expects to receive its first 737 MAX 10 in the second quarter of 2027.

Indian carriers await deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX 10

Air India Express and Akasa Air are among the future operators of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 in India. Both airlines already operate the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

Air India Express has around 10 firm orders for the Boeing 737 MAX 10, while Akasa Air’s exact order breakdown has not been officially confirmed. In 2024, Akasa placed an order for 150 aircraft, comprising the 737 MAX 10 and the high-density 737 MAX 8-200. Fleet data records indicate that the order includes 99 737 MAX 10s and 51 737 MAX 8-200s.

Boeing says the 737 MAX 10 can accommodate up to 230 passengers in a maximum seating configuration, offering the lowest per-seat costs of any single-aisle aircraft in service and 365 nautical miles more range than competitors without auxiliary fuel tanks. The aircraft also features an enhanced angle-of-attack system, which will become standard across the 737 MAX family.

“Completing the certification program clears the path for us to deliver a Boeing airplane that will set a new standard in commercial aviation. The 737-10 offers greater capacity, longer range and the best seat economics in its class, a platform that will create more value and opportunities for airlines around the world,” said Stephanie Pope, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are also delighted to complete the 737 MAX family and provide our customers the most-efficient and flexible single-aisle airplane portfolio in the industry.”

According to Boeing, more than 30 customers worldwide have ordered a total of 1,555 737 MAX 10 aircraft, accounting for more than 30% of the 737 MAX programme's order book.

The company said its certification programme for the aircraft, conducted in compliance with ACSAA and FAA requirements, included more than 2,000 flight hours, 1,000 ground test hours, tens of thousands of pages of documentation and extensive formal meetings with the FAA.

“Our flight test team ran a disciplined, methodical campaign to validate every system. That rigor gives us confidence as we move toward deliveries,” said Chris Payne, Vice President and General Manager of 737 Airplane Development Programs for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “I'm incredibly proud of the entire team for their focus and professionalism.”

The Boeing 737 MAX 10’s certification comes after years of delays that pushed back its original timeline. Meanwhile, the Boeing 777-9, part of the 777X family, is still awaiting final FAA certification.