Boeing MAX 10 Certification Clears Path for Deliveries of 1,555 Aircraft on Order
Key Facts
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued certification for Boeing's 737 MAX 10 on October 20, paving the way for deliveries of a model for which the company has received orders for 1,555 aircraft. The agency confirmed the certification, while Boeing said approval clears the way for deliveries to begin in the coming months. The model accounts for more than 30% of the MAX program's current order book, according to figures the company released alongside the certification. More than 30 customers worldwide have bought the aircraft, Boeing said, with the buyer base including airlines awaiting its entry into their fleets. The decision follows a certification delay caused by a software issue in late September, according to Reuters coverage at the time.
The model was unveiled at the Paris Air Show in 2017, according to the Associated Press, before completing the testing program required for certification. Boeing said in a July 2026 update, upon completion of the final planned certification flight, that the program had logged 976 test flights. Total flight time during those tests exceeded 2,060 hours, according to the same company update. The program also included about 1,040 hours of ground testing, alongside flights dedicated to testing the aircraft in the air. The FAA said the required safety improvements included updating the flight control system with an enhanced angle-of-attack sensor.
The model's certification was preceded by an FAA decision allowing Boeing to resume issuing airworthiness certificates for new aircraft at the end of the production process. That decision covered all MAX and Dreamliner aircraft, with certificate issuance subject to the U.S. agency's oversight, according to its statement. The MAX 10 is a twin-engine transport aircraft, according to its description in an official FAA document. It can carry up to 230 passengers, according to the document, the maximum seating capacity set by the agency for the model. Boeing says typical capacity ranges from 185 to 210 passengers, compared with the maximum capacity listed in the regulatory document.
The aircraft has a range of 3,100 nautical miles, equivalent to 5,740 kilometers, according to specifications Boeing published alongside the certification announcement. The model's design shares spare parts with the rest of the MAX family, the company said, linking it in this respect to other aircraft in the program. Total orders for the 737 MAX family reached about 7,350 aircraft, according to Boeing, with the announced orders for the new model representing part of that family. The company had delivered nearly 2,500 MAX-family aircraft through September 2026, according to its program update. On production, Kelly Ortberg said in a September update: "We are now working toward 47 aircraft a month, but we have not yet stabilized at 47 aircraft a month."
The certification process had raised investor concerns before final approval, as the regulatory decision was delayed in late September. In its September 28, 2026 coverage, Reuters reported that Boeing shares fell 6.3% amid concerns about further delays to the model. The agency attributed the certification delay at that stage to a software issue, before the U.S. regulator announced it had issued the certificate. Following approval, the Associated Press cited the company as expecting deliveries to begin in 2027. Reuters identified Canada's WestJet as the expected recipient of the first aircraft of the model, with delivery due early next year.
Boeing will report its third-quarter 2026 results on Tuesday, October 27, according to a statement from the company's investor relations department. The results announcement will be followed by a call with investors to discuss financial performance and the outlook. The call starts at 10:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern time, according to the schedule set by the company. The financial disclosure follows the model's certification and comes as Boeing works to stabilize its monthly production rate. It also precedes the expected delivery of the first aircraft to WestJet, which Reuters put at early next year.