Politics
FAA approval advances Boeing’s delayed Max 10 toward airline deliveries
The FAA approved Boeing’s largest 737 Max model on Tuesday after years of delays, clearing a major regulatory hurdle. Boeing expects to begin deliveries in 2027, but each aircraft must still be cleared before carrying passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration approved Boeing’s 737 Max 10 for passenger service on Tuesday, a major step toward airline deliveries for the plane nearly a decade after its unveiling.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the decision at Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington. He said the review included extensive safety evaluations and thousands of hours of test flights, calling the approval a win for U.S. manufacturing.
The certification means the FAA has determined that the aircraft’s design meets safety standards. Boeing still must demonstrate that it can build the planes consistently to that approved design, and each completed aircraft must receive clearance before it can carry passengers. Boeing expects to begin deliveries in 2027.
The Max 10 is designed to seat 185 to 210 passengers, more than the Max 9, which typically seats 175 to 195, and the Max 8, which seats 160 to 180, according to Boeing. The company says the aircraft is intended to carry more passengers while using less fuel than older planes. Whether that translates into lower fares will depend on how airlines use the added capacity and the level of competition on their routes.
Boeing introduced the single-aisle jet in 2017 to compete with Airbus’ A321neo. Technical and regulatory hurdles delayed its certification. More than 30 customers worldwide have ordered 1,555 Max 10s that Boeing has not yet delivered, representing more than 30% of its 737 Max backlog. United, Delta, American and Ryanair are among the major customers; Alaska Airlines ordered 105 in January, with options for 35 more.
The approval comes as Boeing works to recover from years of safety, manufacturing and production problems. Two deadly crashes involving the smaller Max 8 in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people. In 2024, a door-sized fuselage panel blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9 during flight, bringing renewed scrutiny of the company’s manufacturing practices.
After the Max 8 crashes, the FAA overhauled its aircraft-certification process for Boeing. The agency has since eased some restrictions, including raising Boeing’s production limits and allowing the company to resume issuing airworthiness certificates for some finished aircraft. The Max 10’s approval completes the four-model 737 Max lineup; the FAA cleared the smaller Max 7 for airline operations in August.