FAA completes key safety review of Boeing 737 MAX 10, certification decision expected soon
The FAA has finished a decisive safety evaluation of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 and could grant certification within a week, according to people familiar with the process. The review by the Type Certification Board was the last technical hurdle before a formal decision.
The Federal Aviation Administration completed a decisive safety evaluation of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 on Friday and is ready to certify the aircraft as soon as next week, according to three people familiar with the process.
The review was carried out by the Type Certification Board, a body made up of members of the FAA's leadership team. It represents the final technical and regulatory requirement before a formal certification decision.
The MAX 10 is the largest aircraft in Boeing's 737 MAX lineup. Its approval would mark a strategic and industrial turning point for the manufacturer.
Boeing has faced substantially stricter scrutiny since two fatal MAX 8 accidents in 2018 and 2019. Quality and production systems at the company drew renewed regulatory attention after a cabin panel separated in flight in January 2024, an incident involving a nearly new MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines.
Boeing's original plans called for commercial deliveries of the MAX 10 to begin in 2020, but several factors pushed the schedule back. A problem found in 2023 in the engine anti-ice system of the 737 MAX family delayed certification of both the MAX 7 and the MAX 10. In August, the FAA granted approval to the smaller MAX 7 model after a similar process.
The sources did not say when deliveries of the MAX 10 would begin if certification is granted.
Sources
- avweb.comFAA Could Certify Boeing 737 MAX 10 Next Week
- aviacionaldia.comLa FAA se prepara para certificar el Boeing 737 MAX 10 la próxima semana tras superar una revisión clave de seguridad