United Airlines left with unused lie-flat seats meant for delayed 737 MAX 10

Hundreds of lie-flat business class seats sit in storage at United Airlines, chief executive Scott Kirby has said. The airline bought them for installation on the Boeing 737 MAX 10, the largest variant of the MAX family, which has faced repeated delays in reaching certification.

Kirby said the aircraft's long wait for regulatory approval has left United with inventory it may never use for its original purpose. The MAX 10 is now expected to be certified soon. Even so, United faces a choice: wait for the jets to enter service, or find another use for the seating.

The airline hasn't given a timeline for resolving the situation. It also hasn't said how many aircraft the stored seats were originally meant for. Whether United will retrofit the seats into other aircraft already in its fleet, or keep holding them until MAX 10 deliveries begin, remains unclear.

The MAX 10 has been central to United's long-term narrowbody fleet plans, including premium cabin upgrades on domestic and near-international routes. Delays to its certification have previously forced airlines, United among them, to adjust fleet and cabin plans.

No specific certification date was given in the available information, and United has not disclosed what financial impact the stored seats have had on the company.