FAA certifies Boeing 737 MAX 10 after years of delays

The Federal Aviation Administration has officially granted type certification for the Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, Simple Flying and One Mile at a Time reported on October 20. The announcement followed reports by Paddley Too and Reuters that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was expected to announce the long-awaited certification at Boeing's factory in Everett, Washington. [1][2][3][8]

The approval comes after more than six years of delays for the largest member of the 737 MAX family, according to Simple Flying. One Mile at a Time reported that the FAA recently certified the smaller 737 MAX 7 variant, which is on order by Southwest Airlines. [2][3]

The new certification clears the way for Boeing to begin deliveries to carriers including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, One Mile at a Time reported. However, commercial passenger service for the aircraft model is not expected to start until the spring of 2027. [3]

In related fleet news, Simple Flying reported that Canada's WestJet is selling 27 older Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft to New York-based FTAI Aviation in a sale-and-leaseback deal. WestJet will continue to operate 17 of those planes temporarily to bridge fleet capacity while awaiting delayed 737 MAX 10 deliveries. [4]