FAA holds 737 Max 10 certification over go-around software issue

The US Federal Aviation Administration is holding back certification of Boeing's 737 Max 10 while it examines a newly disclosed software problem, the agency's administrator said. Bryan Bedford told reporters on 28 September that the regulator has not yet decided whether the matter affects safety of flight, and that approval of the variant will wait until officials are satisfied the issue is resolved. He gave no revised timeline.

Boeing had hoped to secure clearance for the long-delayed Max 10 during this year. The manufacturer said it continues to take direction from the FAA as certification work proceeds.

The software was developed by GE Aerospace, which said it is working with Boeing on a fix and will support the FAA's review. The company described safety as its top priority.

The same problem extends to software on the 737 Max 7, which the FAA certificated less than two months ago but which has not entered service, and to an undisclosed number of jets already flying. Boeing has planned to begin delivering both variants next year; whether the issue affects that schedule is not clear.

Reporting by the Wall Street Journal on 26 September said Boeing has known since 2024 about the glitch, which involves vertical navigation systems on some in-service 737 Max aircraft. The number of aircraft involved has not been established. Several US carriers say none of their jets are affected.

Questions have been raised by some pilot groups and observers about why the manufacturer did not make the problem known sooner. Bedford characterised the fleet as safe, adding that no software is flawless.