The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified Boeing’s 737 MAX-10 on Oct. 20, clearing the largest MAX model for deliveries and starting safety upgrade deadlines for U.S.-registered aircraft.
The FAA approved the aircraft’s design through an amended type certificate and updated its production authorization. Boeing said deliveries could begin in the coming months, but gave no date for the first aircraft to reach a customer.
Boeing reported 1,555 orders for the 737-10 from more than 30 customers. The model accounts for more than 30% of the company’s unfilled 737 MAX orders, it said. Boeing lists typical seating at 185 to 210 passengers in two classes, with room for up to 230 in its maximum configuration.
The 737-10 first flew on June 18, 2021. Boeing then expected it to enter service in 2023. The company said the certification program ultimately involved nearly 1,000 test flights, more than 2,000 flight hours and 1,000 hours of ground testing.
The FAA required changes to address federal aircraft certification law and recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board. Those changes included an enhanced angle-of-attack system. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would continue to hold Boeing to “the highest safety standards” as production begins.
Federal law assigns the cost of the required fleet enhancements to the holder of the aircraft’s type certificate. The FAA’s guidance sets deadlines measured from certification: Starting Oct. 20, 2027, the agency cannot issue an original airworthiness certificate for a new MAX aircraft unless its type design includes the approved enhancements. From Oct. 20, 2029, U.S.-registered MAX aircraft must conform to the upgraded design to operate.
