Boeing CEO Says MAX 10 Certification Coming ‘Very Soon’

The company has completed flight testing and says only a small number of submissions remain before the FAA reviews the certification package.

Boeing CEO Says MAX 10 Certification Coming ‘Very Soon’
[Credit: Duncan Kirk / CC BY 4.0.]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg announced that 737 MAX 10 certification is approaching, with flight testing complete and only three deliverables remaining for the FAA.
  • The MAX 10 completed its final certification flight in July after extensive testing, including 976 flights and over 2,060 flight hours.
  • Boeing has already started building MAX 10s, which constitute approximately 30% of its 737 backlog, with initial customer deliveries targeted for 2027.
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Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg says certification of the 737 MAX 10 is approaching after the company completed flight testing and moved into the final documentation phase. Speaking Wednesday at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference, Ortberg said Boeing had only three deliverables remaining for the FAA, according to Reuters.

Final Documentation Underway

“When I left Seattle yesterday, I think we had three deliverables to complete all the deliverables to the FAA,” Ortberg said during the conference. “The FAA work is quite a bit larger to review all that documentation than on the Dash 7, but we’re in close coordination with them and working on that. I think you’re going to see that certification very soon.”

Boeing completed the MAX 10’s final planned certification flight in July after 976 flights and more than 2,060 flight hours, according to Boeing. Testing included the aircraft’s landing gear, braking systems, engine anti-ice changes and enhanced angle-of-attack system. The FAA will determine when the aircraft has met the requirements for an amended type certificate.

Production Already Underway

Boeing has already started building MAX 10s and is producing two at its Everett, Washington, facility as part of the certification process for the new production line. Ortberg said the MAX 10 represents about 30% of Boeing’s 737 backlog and indicated production will eventually reflect a similar share of MAX output.

The MAX 10 is the largest member of the 737 MAX family. Boeing continues to target initial customer deliveries in 2027. The FAA certified the smaller 737 MAX 7 in August following its own extended certification program.

Matt Ryan

Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
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