The Federal Aviation Administration has certified Boeing’s 737 Max 10, clearing the way for the largest aircraft in the manufacturer’s best-selling jet family to enter service after years of delays.
The approval is a significant step for Boeing, which had originally expected the aircraft to begin flying in 2020. Its certification was delayed by increased scrutiny following two Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, as well as other safety concerns and engineering changes.
Those changes included work on the anti-icing system for the aircraft’s engines. Federal officials also recently reviewed a glitch in the aircraft’s navigation system, but concluded that it did not pose a safety-of-flight issue.
FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said the decision followed a detailed assessment of the aircraft’s design and safety requirements.
“The FAA’s decision follows a thorough review of the aircraft’s design and safety requirements,” he said. “We will continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards.”
Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said in September that orders for the Max 10 represented about 30% of the company’s backlog. Customers include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
The certification means airlines can begin flying passengers on the aircraft soon, although carriers may need several months to incorporate the planes into their schedules.
United chief executive Scott Kirby said in August that the airline had been waiting so long for the Max 10 that the lie-flat seats it had expected to install no longer made sense and were being stored in a warehouse. Alaska Airlines said last month that it planned to fit lie-flat seats to some of its Max 10s as part of a drive to offer more premium services.
The FAA approved the smallest aircraft in the family, the 737 Max 7, in early August. Boeing is also increasing production of its 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which are central to its recovery because airlines and other customers pay most of the price when planes are delivered.
The company opened a fourth production line for its 737 Max aircraft in Everett, Washington, in July.
