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FAA Approves Boeing's 737 Max 10 for Passenger Service
Confirmed
In Short: Boeing's 737 Max 10 is designed to carry more passengers while using less fuel, making it particularly appealing to airlines facing high jet fuel costs.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday announced the certification of Boeing's 737 Max 10, the largest version of the 737 family, after nearly a decade of delays.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy presented the certification to Jim Williams, Boeing 737 Development Program chief engineer, and Chris Payne, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president and program manager, at an event in Everett, Washington.
The FAA's approval followed extensive safety reviews and thousands of hours of test flights, ensuring the aircraft meets all necessary safety standards.
Boeing's 737 Max 10 is designed to carry more passengers while using less fuel, making it particularly appealing to airlines facing high jet fuel costs.
Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, emphasized that the certification clears the path to deliver an airplane that will set a new standard in commercial aviation.
The FAA's decision marks another major milestone in Boeing's recovery from previous safety and production challenges. The company expects to begin deliveries in 2027.
More than 30 customers worldwide have ordered 1,555 Max 10s, accounting for over 30% of Boeing's total 737 Max backlog.
Alaska Airlines recently joined the list of customers, ordering 105 Max 10s with options for 35 more.
Boeing's certification process also includes ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements, ensuring each plane is cleared before it can fly passengers.
For travelers, the 737 Max 10 could eventually mean more seats on popular routes, though the impact on fares will depend on airline deployment and competition.
The FAA's approval of the 737 Max 10 represents a significant step forward for Boeing, which has faced numerous challenges in recent years.
Boeing's 737-7, the smallest and longest-range aircraft in the 737 MAX family, has also received regulatory approval, with Southwest Airlines set to receive the first unit.
What this adds
Boeing's 737 Max 10 certification follows years of delays and extensive safety reviews.
The FAA's approval allows Boeing to begin preparations for deliveries in 2027.
American Airlines is considering ordering Airbus A330-900neos to replace its Boeing 777-200ERs, potentially impacting Boeing's widebody market.
What's confirmed
- The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday said production of the largest version of Boeing's bestselling 737 family has been approved after extensive safety reviews and thousands of hours of test flights.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, center, reacts while presenting the certification of Boeing's 737 Max 10 aircraft to Jim Williams, Boeing 737 Development Program chief engineer, at left, and Chris Payne, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president and program manager, 737 Development Programs, right, Tuesday, Oct.
- People clap for a speaker during an event celebrating the announcement of the certification of Boeing's 737 Max 10 aircraft Tuesday, Oct.
- Nearly a decade after Boeing unveiled its largest 737 Max jet, the company has cleared a major hurdle in its effort to bring the plane to airlines.
- The new model is designed to carry more people while using less fuel, appealing to airlines facing high jet fuel costs.
- A person holds a flag celebrating the announcement of the certification of Boeing's 737 Max 10 aircraft Tuesday, Oct.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the certification followed "extensive safety reviews," including thousands of hours of test flights, and called it a major win for American manufacturing.
- In July, the FAA also said Boeing could once again issue airworthiness certificates for its 737 Max and 787 planes at the end of production, allowing the company to take back some responsibility for determining whether finished aircraft are ready to fly.
- "It marks another major milestone in our recovery, and it unlocks a key to our future growth." The company expects to begin deliveries in 2027.
- Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said during Duffy's visit that the certification "clears the path to deliver an airplane that will set a new standard in commercial aviation." The Max 10 will typically seat 185-210 passengers, according to Boeing, compared with 175-195 on the Max 9 and 160-180 on the Max 8.
- The single-aisle jet was introduced at the Paris air show in 2017 to help Boeing compete with rival Airbus.
- More than 30 customers worldwide have ordered 1,555 Max 10s that Boeing has yet to deliver, accounting for more than 30% of its total 737 Max backlog.
What's still developing
- Josh Funk, Associated Press Josh Funk, Associated Press Rio Yamat, Associated Press Rio Yamat, Associated Press Boeing's 737 Max 10 airliner has been approved for passenger service after years of delays, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday.
- Boeing said in its 2020 annual report that it expected to make the plane's first delivery in 2023.
- American Airlines may be about to make a rather ironic widebody fleet decision: after prematurely retiring its entire Airbus A330 fleet during the pandemic, it is now seriously considering ordering the Airbus A330-900neo as the long-term replacement for its aging Boeing 777-200ERs.
- American is reportedly evaluating an order for up to 65 aircraft to replace its 47 Boeing 777-200ERs, with Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper describing the process as being in the “seventh or eighth inning” and saying the decision “could go either way” between Airbus and Boeing.
- The 737-7 is designed to carry between 135 and 160 passengers in a two-class configuration and offers a range of up to 3,800 nautical miles (7,040 kilometres), giving airlines greater flexibility on longer routes typically served by larger aircraft.
- Nuremberg, Germany: Nuremberg Airport temporarily suspended all flight operations on Tuesday after a Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800 operating flight XR456 from Corfu, Greece, to Nuremberg transmitted the international hijacking code 7500 while en route.
- But technical and regulatory hurdles repeatedly delayed certification.