EVERETT, Wash. — The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially certified the Boeing 737-10, the largest member of the 737 MAX family. The milestone, announced by Boeing on October 20, 2026, clears the path for the aerospace giant to begin commercial deliveries of the high-capacity single-aisle jet in the coming months.
The FAA’s approval of the amended type certificate marks the completion of the 737 MAX family lineup, which has accumulated more than 7,350 total orders across its various models.
A New Flagship for Single-Aisle Fleets
Designed to maximize efficiency and flexibility for airline operators, the 737-10 seats up to 230 passengers in a maximum configuration (or 185 to 210 passengers in a standard two-class layout). According to Boeing, the aircraft boasts the lowest per-seat costs of any single-aisle airplane currently in service, alongside a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 km) and a 20% reduction in both fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions compared to older generation aircraft.
“Completing the certification program clears the path for us to deliver a Boeing airplane that will set a new standard in commercial aviation,” said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 737-10 offers greater capacity, longer range and the best seat economics in its class… We are also delighted to complete the 737 MAX family and provide our customers the most-efficient and flexible single-aisle airplane portfolio in the industry.”
More than 30 global customers have placed orders for the 737-10, totaling 1,555 airplanes, representing over 30 percent of the entire 737 MAX program’s current unfilled order book.
Rigorous Testing and Enhanced Safety Standards
The certification process for the 737-10 was exceptionally thorough, serving as the first commercial aircraft to be certified to the full extent of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act (ACSAA). The legislation mandated enhanced documentation of safety assessments and comprehensive human factors evaluations.
To achieve regulatory clearance, the flight test program required nearly 2,000 total flight hours (including roughly 1,000 test flights), 1,000 ground test hours, and tens of thousands of pages of safety and system documentation reviewed alongside the FAA.
The aircraft also introduces key safety enhancements to the MAX program, including an advanced Angle-of-Attack (AoA) system that will become standard across the entire 737 MAX family.
“Our flight test team ran a disciplined, methodical campaign to validate every system. That rigor gives us confidence as we move toward deliveries,” said Chris Payne, vice president and general manager of 737 Airplane Development Programs.
With certification now secured, Boeing is poised to ramp up preparations to integrate the 737-10 into airline fleets worldwide.
