FAA clears way for airlines to put long-delayed 737 Max 10 into service

A Boeing 737 MAX 10 takes off from Renton, Wash. The FAA on Tuesday certified the U.S.-built plane for delivery to a backlog of customers. (Ellen M. Banner / Seattle Times file)

Boeing’s 737 Max 10 airliner has been approved for passenger service after years of delays, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday.

The Max 10’s certification represents another milestone in Boeing’s efforts to restore its reputation and financial footing after years of safety, quality and production challenges. With production approved, the aircraft can now be sold to domestic and foreign carriers.

“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,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “This is a major win for American manufacturing and our nation’s status as a global aviation powerhouse.”

The Max 10 — the largest version of Boeing’s bestselling 737 family — is an important piece of the U.S. company’s effort to regain ground in the narrow-body market. For airlines, the larger plane offers a way to carry more passengers on a single flight, potentially lowering costs per seat.

For travellers, it could eventually mean more seats on popular routes, though the impact on fares will depend on how airlines deploy the planes and how much competition they face.

Stephanie Pope, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement “completing the certification program clears the path for us to deliver a Boeing airplane that will set a new standard in commercial aviation.”

The Max 10 will typically seat 185 to 210 passengers, according to Boeing, compared with 175 to 195 on the Max 9 and 160 to 180 on the Max 8.

The single-aisle jet was introduced at the Paris air show in 2017 to help Boeing compete with rival Airbus. But technical and regulatory hurdles repeatedly delayed certification.

Boeing said in its 2020 annual report it expected to make the plane’s first delivery in 2023. The company now expects to begin deliveries in 2027.

The delays have held up a key part of Boeing’s business. More than 30 customers worldwide have ordered 1,555 Max 10s that Boeing has yet to deliver, accounting for more than 30 per cent of its total 737 Max backlog.

Major customers for the Max 10 include United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Ryanair. Alaska Airlines joined that list in January, ordering 105 Max 10s, with options for 35 more.

Boeing’s struggles have been particularly acute since two deadly crashes involving the smaller Max 8 killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019 off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia.

In 2024, a panel flew off of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 in midair, renewing scrutiny of Boeing’s manufacturing and safety practices.

The Max 10 is intended to compete with Airbus’s A321neo model family, which entered service in 2017.

The Max 10’s certification completes the lineup of four 737 Max models. The FAA cleared the smaller Max 7 for airline operations in August.

— The Associated Press