Boeing has wrapped up planned certification flight testing of the 737 MAX 10, with Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification now hinging on the completion of remaining safety and design reviews before final documents are submitted to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company continues to target approval in 2026, with first customer deliveries expected in 2027.
The final test flight departed from and returned to Boeing Field in Seattle, evaluating whether crews could clearly hear the lavatory smoke detector and cabin speaker system. Across the full campaign, the MAX 10 test fleet completed 976 flights totalling more than 2,060 flight hours, with a further approximately 1,040 hours of ground testing logged alongside.
Testing covered a broad scope of systems and performance parameters: the aircraft’s main landing gear, braking on wet runways, maximum-energy stops, changes to the engine anti-ice system, and an enhanced angle-of-attack system designed to prevent incorrect sensor data from triggering confusing cockpit warnings. Three aircraft (designated 1G001, 1G002 and 1G003) participated in the flight-test campaign. Boeing says it plans to remove test equipment from all three and convert them to customer configurations ahead of delivery.
Reviews progressing, but substantial work remains
‘Reaching this milestone is a huge testament to the commitment and dedication of the entire team,’ said Chris Payne, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing’s 737 development programmes. ‘This is an important step on our journey, and we’re focused on building on it as we move forward.’
Despite the flight-test milestone, the path to type certification is not yet complete. Boeing’s third development assurance review is finished, while the fourth is 60% complete. System safety assessments stand at 32%. All final documentation must be submitted to the FAA before regulators can formally issue a certificate. According to Aerospace Global News, the FAA formally began its certification review of both the MAX 10 and the smaller MAX 7 on 12 December, a step that anchors the agency’s own timeline to the process.
The engine anti-ice system has been among the primary obstacles delaying approval of both variants. Boeing discovered that prolonged use of the system in certain dry-air conditions could cause parts of the engine inlet to overheat. The company has developed a design change it plans to install on newly built MAX aircraft and make available as a retrofit for the existing fleet. The enhanced angle-of-attack system carries similar plans: introduction on new-build aircraft with a retrofit offer for jets already in service.
MAX 7 on parallel track as Ryanair watches MAX 10 certification closely
The MAX 7, the smaller sibling variant, is on a near-identical timeline. Boeing says flight testing of the MAX 7 is also complete and that its certification documents are 95% finished, with the company expecting to certify that aircraft during 2026 and begin deliveries in 2027.
The commercial stakes around the MAX 10 are considerable. According to AirMapPR, Ryanair holds 150 firm orders plus 150 options for the MAX 10, making the Irish carrier one of the largest committed customers for the type. Any further slippage in the certification schedule would have a direct bearing on Ryanair’s fleet planning and capacity growth.
Boeing had originally anticipated MAX 10 deliveries beginning in 2020. The programme subsequently endured a series of setbacks: the broader 737 MAX grounding, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and the need to redesign the engine anti-ice system all pushed the timetable back repeatedly. The MAX 10 is the largest member of the 737 MAX family.
With flight testing now formally concluded, Boeing’s near-term focus shifts entirely to completing its safety assessments, closing out the fourth development assurance review, and delivering the full certification package to the FAA. The agency’s review, formally opened on 12 December, will determine whether that 2026 target holds.
