What Does the FAA's Boeing 737 MAX 10 Certification Mean for Passengers?
On October 20, 2026 the FAA certified the Boeing 737-10, the largest member of the 737 MAX family, according to Boeing's release. For passengers, it means you cannot fly one yet, but airlines can now take delivery: Boeing says deliveries begin in the coming months, and Leeham News expects the first early next year, with WestJet as launch customer.
When it does enter service it will most often be a bigger single-aisle jet with typically 185 to 210 seats in two classes, so the biggest change you may notice is which airline and route get it, not a new kind of flight.
What happened on October 20
Boeing says the FAA certified the 737-10 on October 20, 2026, after nearly 1,000 test flights. Leeham News reports the FAA issued an amended type certificate and Boeing received an updated Production Limitation Record, which authorizes production. Leeham says the certification completes the MAX lineup after the 737-7 was certified earlier in 2026.
Boeing says certification clears it to deliver the jet to customers, and that deliveries start in the coming months. Leeham expects them to begin early next year, and says most aircraft will be built on the North Line in Everett, Washington.
What it means on board: seats and range
Boeing lists up to 230 passengers in a maximum seating configuration and typically 185 to 210 in a two-class layout. For comparison, Boeing lists the 737-8 at 160 to 180 passengers and the 737-9 at 175 to 195. The whole MAX family spans 135 to 230 seats.
Boeing gives the 737-10 a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 km), shorter than the 3,500 nautical miles it lists for the 737-8. Your airline, not Boeing, decides the actual cabin layout, so the seat count you get depends on who flies it.
When and where you might fly it
Leeham News says WestJet is the launch customer and that more than 30 airlines are waiting for 737-10s. Boeing counts 1,555 737-10 orders, more than 30 percent of the 737 MAX program's order book.
Watch your airline's schedule announcements in the months after the first deliveries to see which routes get the jet.
Safety: what is new and what was flagged
Boeing says the 737-10 is the first commercial airplane certified to the full extent of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, and that its enhanced Angle-of-Attack system will become standard across the 737 MAX family.
Leeham adds that the new system will be fitted to all new MAX jets, with retrofits for aircraft already in service. It also reports that the FAA approved the jet despite a known flight-management software bug, which the FAA says is not safety-critical. The FAA said it will continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards as production begins.
Boeing's claims of the lowest per-seat costs of any single-aisle airplane in service and a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel use are the company's own figures; they are not independent measurements.
Questions people ask
When did the FAA certify the Boeing 737 MAX 10?
Boeing says the FAA certified the 737-10 on October 20, 2026.
When can passengers fly on a 737 MAX 10?
Boeing says deliveries begin in the coming months. Leeham News expects them early next year, with WestJet as launch customer.
How many seats does the 737 MAX 10 have?
Boeing lists up to 230 passengers in a maximum configuration and typically 185 to 210 in a two-class layout. The airline chooses the layout.
How far can the 737 MAX 10 fly?
Boeing lists a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 km).
Is the 737 MAX 10 safe?
The FAA certified it after nearly 1,000 test flights, per Boeing, and Leeham News reports an enhanced Angle-of-Attack system on all new MAX jets and a known flight-management software bug the FAA says is not safety-critical.
Sources
- Boeing: U.S. FAA certifies Boeing 737-10, largest member of 737 MAX family (October 20, 2026) · Certification date, seats, range, orders, safety system
- Leeham News: Boeing 737 MAX 10 Clears Certification with FAA (October 20, 2026) · Launch customer, delivery timing, software bug, FAA statement
Figures were read from the linked pages on October 21, 2026. Delivery timing and airline plans can change.
Top photo: DUNCAN KIRK / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons