FAA expected to announce Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification Tuesday

FAA certification announcement expected

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce certification of Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 on Tuesday, according to Reuters, citing people briefed on the plans. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is scheduled to make the announcement during a visit to Boeing’s Everett, Washington, factory.

The reported announcement was not yet confirmed by the FAA as of the October 19, 2026, reports. Boeing referred questions to the agency, which had not immediately commented.

Final certification review completed

The FAA’s Type Certification Board conducted its review on Friday. The board includes senior FAA management, and its review is the final step before the agency decides whether to certify the aircraft.

The MAX 10 is a larger version of Boeing’s best-selling aircraft. It is assembled in Renton, Washington, and Boeing opened a new production line at Everett in July to expand 737 MAX production.

Airlines have ordered nearly 1,500 aircraft

Airlines have ordered nearly 1,500 MAX 10s, representing about 30% of Boeing’s outstanding 737 backlog, Reuters reported. The model is important to the growth plans of several major customers, including United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Ryanair, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.

Boeing has already built a small number of MAX 10s that are awaiting delivery. Before the delays, the company had initially planned to begin deliveries in 2020.

Certification followed a series of delays

The aircraft’s certification has been delayed by development and regulatory issues, including a problem involving the anti-ice system on 737 MAX engines that emerged in 2023. A navigation-software issue disclosed in late September also threatened to delay certification further.

The FAA determined that the navigation-software issue did not pose a safety concern and did not require Boeing to fix it as a condition of certification, Reuters reported. The MAX 10 follows the FAA’s approval of the smaller 737 MAX 7 in August, after a review lasting more than eight years.