FAA nears approval of Boeing 737 MAX 10

The Federal Aviation Administration is set to approve Boeing’s (BA) 737 MAX 10 as soon as next week, following a Type Certification Board meeting held on Oct. 16, 2026. After this meeting, Boeing (BA) is expected to submit a Project Statement of Completion, a key procedural step paving the way for formal type-certificate signing. Ceremonial signatures could occur as early as the week beginning Oct. 19, 2026, marking one of the final milestones in the aircraft’s long-running certification process.

An earlier regulatory review cleared a late-arising software issue that had temporarily complicated the timeline. On Oct. 2, 2026, the FAA determined that a previously identified fault in the flight-management-computer/navigation software did not constitute a safety concern. As a result, the agency concluded the issue did not need to be resolved as a condition for certifying the MAX 10, allowing the approval process to continue on its current track.

The MAX 10 has undergone an extensive flight-test program as part of its path to certification. Boeing’s certification flight-test campaign for the variant concluded with 976 flights and more than 2,060 flight hours. This airborne work was supplemented by roughly 1,040 hours of ground testing, reflecting a substantial engineering and regulatory effort focused on validating the aircraft’s performance and safety characteristics.

In parallel with the certification work, Boeing has been building aircraft in anticipation of regulatory clearance. Multiple 737 MAX 10 airframes have already been assembled and are awaiting certification before they can be delivered to customers. The company has also reported holding roughly 40 MAX 7 and MAX 10 aircraft combined in inventory, positioning it to move relatively quickly once approvals are in place.

The 737 MAX 10 is the largest variant in Boeing’s 737 MAX family and occupies an important role in the manufacturer’s single-aisle portfolio. The aircraft represents about 30% of Boeing’s outstanding 737 backlog, underscoring its commercial significance. Reporting on Boeing’s orders-and-deliveries data cites 1,555 unfilled orders for the MAX 10, reflecting substantial customer demand tied to the model’s entry into service.

Certification of the MAX 10 would unlock the next major phase of the program: fleet entry with airline customers. Regulatory approval of the type certificate is expected to open the way for initial commercial deliveries in 2027. With testing completed, inventory building underway, and the FAA progressing through its final procedural steps, the program is approaching a transition from development and certification to operational deployment.