Boeing faces the challenge of producing and delivering 1,555 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft ordered by more than 30 customers worldwide after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the largest member of the 737 MAX family for commercial service.
The certification, granted on October 20, 2026, removes the final regulatory hurdle for the aircraft, which has spent years undergoing development, safety reviews and flight testing.
The approval comes as Boeing works through a substantial backlog across its 737 MAX programme. According to the manufacturer, customers have ordered 7,350 aircraft in the MAX family, with nearly 2,500 delivered by September 2026.
The figures leave approximately 4,850 aircraft yet to be delivered across the family, based on Boeing’s reported cumulative orders and deliveries.
The MAX 10 alone accounts for more than 30 percent of the programme’s current order book, making its entry into commercial service important to Boeing’s production and delivery plans.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy handed over the amended type certificate and Production Certificate 700 to Boeing officials during a ceremony in Everett, Washington.
“After extensive safety reviews, including thousands of hours of test flights, the team at the FAA is ready to approve this critical aircraft for sale,” Duffy said.
The MAX 10 certification follows the approval of the smaller 737 MAX 7 in August 2026, completing certification of all four variants in the MAX family.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope credited the development team for completing the certification requirements after years of testing and regulatory scrutiny.
The MAX 10 flight-test programme involved nearly 1,000 flights, more than 2,000 flight hours and 1,000 hours of ground testing.
The process included human factors assessments, system safety analyses and design reviews conducted in coordination with the FAA.
The aircraft was also tested with an enhanced Angle of Attack system, which Boeing says will become standard across the MAX family.
According to Boeing, the MAX is the first aircraft programme certified in full compliance with the requirements of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, which introduced additional safety assessment and documentation requirements.
The MAX 10 typically accommodates between 185 and 210 passengers in a two-class configuration and has a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles, equivalent to approximately 5,740 kilometres.
Powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines, the aircraft is designed for airlines operating high-density short and medium-haul routes, where carrying more passengers can reduce operating costs per seat.
Boeing says technological improvements deliver a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions compared with the previous generation of aircraft.
The MAX 10 also shares components and operating characteristics with other members of the 737 MAX family, allowing airlines to maintain greater fleet commonality.
With certification secured, Boeing’s attention now turns to production and deliveries. The manufacturer must accommodate the MAX 10’s 1,555-aircraft order book alongside outstanding orders for the MAX 7, MAX 8 and MAX 9.
The certification clears the aircraft for commercial service, but Boeing has not specified in its October 20 announcement how quickly it expects to manufacture and deliver the outstanding MAX 10 orders.
