On October 20 local time, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially granted Boeing the airworthiness certification for the 737 MAX 10 model. This model is the last in the Boeing 737 MAX series to receive airworthiness certification.
The 737 MAX 10 is the model with the longest fuselage and the largest capacity in the entire MAX series. It can accommodate up to 230 passengers. It is considered Boeing’s main competitor to Airbus A321neo in the market for narrow-body aircraft with a seat capacity of over 200 seats.
According to reports, the 737 MAX 10, which made its debut in 2017, was originally scheduled to have its first flight in 2020, but the certification process was repeatedly delayed. After two fatal crashes of 737 MAX 8 aircraft in 2018 and 2019, the entire MAX series underwent the longest period of comprehensive grounding and strict scrutiny in aviation history. Subsequently, the U.S. Congress proposed new safety regulations, and the engine anti-icing system required redesign. In early 2024, a failure occurred with the cabin door gasket on the MAX 9, and multiple factors combined led to further delays in the airworthiness certification process for the MAX 10. The entire certification process took nearly a decade.
In late September of this year, as the certification process was approaching its final stage, Boeing revealed that there was a technical flaw in the navigation software update for this aircraft. This caused concerns about further delays in the certification process. However, the FAA expert panel determined that the software flaw could be manually corrected by the pilot during operation and did not pose a safety risk to flight operations. Therefore, it was not considered a prerequisite for obtaining certification, and Boeing was given the green light.
FAA Director Beedford issued a statement on Tuesday, stating that after a comprehensive evaluation of the design and safety requirements of the 737 MAX 10, it was determined that the aircraft can receive airworthiness certification. “We will always require Boeing to adhere to the highest safety standards.”
US Transportation Secretary FAA said that the certification of the 737 MAX 10 is a “major victory for American manufacturing and will strengthen America’s position as a world-leading aviation power.”
Then, changing subject, he also said that safety is of course crucial, but the United States needs to improve its certification processes, otherwise it will not be able to cope with competition from China.
Boeing Company takes about half the time to certify a plane in Europe compared to America, and even less than half. Now that China is striving for dominance in the aerospace industry, Dafi claims, "If we Americans want to participate in the competition, we must accelerate airplane certification speed.”
According to reports, Boeing still needs to complete the final quality inspection of the production line and the preparations for delivering the first batch of aircraft. United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines have already secured nearly 1,500 orders for this model, and it is expected that the first batch of aircraft will begin to be received within several months.
American Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said to CNBC in August that the company has been waiting for the 737 MAX 10 for too long, resulting in the seats that were originally prepared for this model being unusable and currently stored in the warehouse.
