The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified Boeing’s 737 MAX 10, the largest aircraft in the 737 MAX family, after a test program that included nearly 1,000 flights and more than 2,000 flight hours.
The approval clears the way for Boeing to begin deliveries of the 737-10 in the coming months. The aircraft can accommodate up to 230 passengers, making it the highest capacity model in the company’s single-aisle 737 MAX range.
The certification is based on extensive safety assessments, design reviews and ground tests. Boeing said the program included 1,000 hours of ground testing, tens of thousands of pages of documentation and formal reviews with the FAA.
The 737-10 is also the first commercial aircraft to be certified to the full requirements of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act. The law introduced more stringent requirements for documenting aircraft safety assessments and evaluating pilots’ interactions with aircraft systems.
New security requirements apply
What sets the aircraft apart is its improved angle of attack system, which Boeing plans to introduce across the entire 737 MAX family.
The angle of attack refers to the angle between an aircraft wing and the airflow flowing towards it. The measurement helps pilots and onboard systems assess flight conditions, including the risk of an aerodynamic stall.
According to Boeing, the improved system is intended to reduce pilot workload. Its introduction across the MAX family makes the 737-10 an important step in the company’s broader aircraft safety program.
“Our flight test team conducted a disciplined, methodical campaign to validate each system,” said Chris Payne, vice president and general manager of 737 aircraft development programs at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Larger aircraft expand capacity
The 737-10 typically seats between 185 and 210 passengers in a two-class configuration, but the maximum seating capacity is 230.
The aircraft has a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 kilometers). Boeing also claims it offers the lowest cost per seat among single-aisle aircraft currently in service, although that comparison was not independently determined in the announcement.
According to Boeing, the aircraft offers 365 nautical miles more range than competing aircraft without additional fuel tanks. The company also says technology improvements across the 737 MAX program will reduce fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions by 20%, without specifying the baseline benchmark in the announcement.
There is great interest from airlines in the largest MAX variant. Boeing reported 1,555 orders from more than 30 customers, representing over 30 percent of the program’s outstanding orders.
Across the 737 MAX family, customers have placed 7,350 orders and delivered nearly 2,500 aircraft through September 2026. The FAA certified the smaller 737-7 earlier this year. With the now approved 737-10, Boeing has received certification for the last member of the MAX family.
However, certification does not mean that the aircraft has entered commercial service. Boeing expects deliveries to customers to begin in the coming months.
