Local
FAA approves Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 for production and airline sales
The FAA approved Boeing’s largest 737 MAX model Tuesday, clearing a major certification hurdle for the long-delayed jet. Boeing expects to begin delivering the planes in 2027, after years of safety reviews and heightened scrutiny of the company.
EVERETT, Wash. — The Federal Aviation Administration approved Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 on Tuesday, clearing the way for the company to produce and sell its largest 737 MAX model to airlines.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the decision during a visit to Boeing’s Everett plant. The FAA issued an amended type certificate confirming the plane meets federal design and safety requirements, along with an updated production record authorizing its manufacture.
“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,” Duffy said in a prepared statement. He described the decision as a win for U.S. manufacturing and the country’s aviation industry.
The MAX 10 can carry as many as 230 passengers and is designed to compete with larger aircraft made by Airbus. Airlines have ordered nearly 1,500, and Boeing expects to start deliveries in 2027. Some aircraft have already been built and are awaiting delivery.
Boeing opened a new 737 MAX production line in Everett in July. The company also assembles MAX jets in Renton, making the certification significant for its Puget Sound operations and the local aerospace workforce. The approval does not mean airlines will begin receiving the MAX 10 immediately; Boeing still expects deliveries to start next year.
The decision follows years of regulatory review and scrutiny of Boeing’s safety practices. Two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX 8 in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people and prompted the FAA to overhaul its aircraft-certification process. Delays for the MAX 10 also followed a 2023 issue with the engine anti-ice system and a January 2024 cabin-panel blowout aboard a MAX 9.
A navigation-software glitch disclosed in late September threatened to further delay certification. The FAA determined it did not present a safety concern requiring a fix before approval. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would continue to hold Boeing to high safety standards.
Federal regulators have gradually eased some restrictions on Boeing production over the past 18 months. In July, the FAA said Boeing could once again take responsibility for certifying all of its 737 MAX and 787 aircraft. The agency approved the smaller MAX 7 in August after reviewing it for more than eight years.
Boeing’s Everett operations are also tied to the company’s broader effort to regain customers and compete with Airbus. The company is still working toward certification of its 777-9, its largest jetliner in production, which is six years behind schedule.