Boeing 737-10 To Be Certified Within Days

Boeing’s largest 737 MAX variant, the 737-10, is expected to see its lengthy certification programme end in a matter of days, according to customer Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines said the aircraft’s approval is nearing completion, and it plans to begin passenger service next spring, with operations expected to commence in April and/or May 2027.

The possible green light and vote of confidence from an eagerly awaiting customer would bring an end to what has been a multi-year certification battle clouded by the 737 MAX crisis of the late-2010s and early 2020s that reshaped how commercial airplanes and especially remaining MAX variants were certified.

Delays define the story of the Boeing 737-10

When Boeing launched the 737 MAX family, it responded directly to the emergence of the A320neo from Airbus, which threatened the 737NG’s position and demanded a comeback. The 737-10 formed part of that, originally marketed as the 737 MAX 10.

The 737-10 was the high-capacity model in the MAX family and a step above the middle-ground, most popular 737-8, serving as an answer to the A321neo and positioning it at the upper end of the single-aisle market, which was rapidly gaining traction.

Boeing stretched the 737-9 further to create the 737-10, an aircraft capable of seating up to 230 passengers in a single class without losing the broader MAX efficiency gains by leveraging the same technologies and CFM International LEAP-1B engines.

However, the path to service has been complex, with an initial certification expected in 2020; the 737 MAX grounding, which followed two fatal accidents in October 2018 of Lion Air Flight 610 and then in March 2019 of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, complicated its progress.

These fatal accidents not only profoundly affected the industry and the families involved, but also highlighted Boeing’s missteps and permanently changed the regulatory environment. The Federal Aviation Administration’s leniency in certification ceased, and oversight of safety, production, and quality became paramount.

The environment became more demanding, with implications not just for the grounded global fleet, but especially for the 737-10 and 737-7, both of which had yet to be certified and became examples of the new approval standards.

Boeing operated in a new environment, without the control it once had over the approval process, and was forced to demonstrate compliance like never before to ensure any updates to the variant and broader family were compliant and safe.

As the months progressed, the 737-10’s path to certification stalled, and in 2022 the biggest hurdle arrived with a new Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act requiring modern engine indication and crew alerting systems.

This change would have broken commonality between certified and uncertified variants. Although Boeing was granted an exemption, it still had to enhance angle-of-attack functionality and other areas. This was not the only hurdle Boeing would face, and it meant six years of delays.

Boeing makes progress on 737-10 in 2026

Under the new leadership of Kelly Ortberg, Boeing has been investing heavily in culture, resetting the systemic, long-standing push for profits over safety. The reset, met with slowed production, aims to change the tone on the production floor, in offices, and worldwide with suppliers to ensure making quality airplanes is the priority.

Slow but necessary, the tone has shifted among key customers who have visited Boeing’s production floor and received aircraft, noticing the upgrades and the investments now paying off. The changed Boeing has seen the 737-10 move through final flight-test phases throughout 2026.

Boeing completed its final planned certification flight on the 737-10 in July, ending a campaign that saw 976 flights logged across more than 2,000 flight hours and a further 1,000+ ground test hours. Those flight tests included, critically, assessments of many 737-10 characteristics, with the revised engine anti-ice system front and centre.

The final flight with the 737-10 for Boeing marked a shift that cemented the certification path, showing progress and that the flight book could be closed with the final paperwork required before the greenlight.

That remaining work has included reviews, safety assessments, and supplying the final material to the FAA for eventual certification. Ortberg and other Boeing executives said the documentation phase was progressing well weeks ago and noted that approval would come soon.

737-10 to be vital for growth at airlines

Alaska Airlines isn’t the only company eagerly awaiting the 737-10’s arrival. In an era where capacity has reigned supreme, the rise and sustained success of the A321neo has shown that base models like the A320neo, while important, haven’t offered the capacity every customer needs.

Airlines have therefore looked to the 737-10, where the A321neo has been unsuitable as a component for their own future fleet plans. The intention is clear: leverage the higher capacity on specific route pairings where demand supports more seats and can be done without adding frequencies.

Alaska Airlines Chief Operating Officer Jason Berry has, in the past, following its own order for over 100 of the model, said markets like New York and Boston are examples of cities where additional seats would support growth.

With certification approaching, the 737-10’s debut isn’t far off. Alaska Airlines expects operational preparations to begin after approval, including completing the head-up display work, which would mean a launch won’t happen until April or May 2027.