FAA likely to certify Boeing 737 MAX 10 this week after final review

Dhaka: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to approve the long-delayed Boeing 737 MAX 10 as early as this week, according to media reports, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The FAA's Type Certification Board, which is made up of members of the agency's management team, completed a key safety review on October 16. The review is the final step before the regulator decides on certification.

Asked for comment, the FAA said safety dictates the certification timeline. Boeing referred questions to the regulator.

The MAX 10 is a larger variant of Boeing's best-selling 737 MAX. Its approval will mark a key milestone for the US planemaker, which has faced a more stringent certification process since two fatal 737 MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019.

Scrutiny of Boeing's production and quality systems also increased after a mid-air cabin panel blowout on a nearly new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in January 2024.

In August, the FAA approved the smaller 737 MAX 7 after reviewing the aircraft for more than eight years.

Boeing had once planned to begin MAX 10 deliveries in 2020. An anti-ice system problem on 737 MAX engines, which emerged in 2023, further delayed certification of both the MAX 7 and MAX 10.

The delays have helped Airbus' A321neo secure a greater share of the large single-aisle market. Boeing has said the MAX 10 will be a major cash-flow driver in its ongoing financial recovery.

Airlines have ordered nearly 1,500 MAX 10s, accounting for about 30% of Boeing's outstanding 737 backlog. The manufacturer has already built a handful of the jets awaiting delivery. Major customers include United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Ryanair, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines.

In late September, Boeing disclosed a glitch in the latest navigation software update for the 737 MAX, which threatened to cause further delays. However, the FAA determined on October 2 that it posed no safety concern and did not require Boeing to fix it as a condition for certifying the aircraft.