The Federal Aviation Administration certified the Boeing 737 MAX 10 on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. It is the largest member of the 737 MAX family and the last one to win approval. Boeing says it can now begin delivering the jet "in the coming months."
The plane was first meant to reach airlines years ago. It got there only after a long review shaped by the two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.
What the FAA approved
The FAA said it issued an amended type certificate for the 737-10. That document confirms the design meets all the safety and design rules that apply. The agency also issued an updated Production Limitation Record, which lets Boeing build the aircraft.
"The FAA's decision follows a thorough review of the aircraft's design and safety requirements," said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. "We will continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards as the company begins production of the 737 MAX-10."
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the approval came "after extensive safety reviews – including thousands of hours of test flights." He called it "a major win for American manufacturing."
The safety changes
Before it signed off, the FAA required the MAX 10 to include key improvements. They answer the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, the 2020 law passed after the crashes, and recommendations from the NTSB. The FAA named one change in particular: an update to the flight-control system with an enhanced angle of attack sensor. That sensor measures the plane's pitch.
Boeing says the enhanced Angle-of-Attack system will become standard across the whole 737 MAX family. It also says the 737-10 is the first commercial airplane certified to the full extent of that 2020 law. The law calls for more detailed records of safety assessments and of how pilots interact with the plane.
Boeing says its program included:
- Nearly 1,000 test flights
- More than 2,000 flight hours
- 1,000 hours of ground tests
- Tens of thousands of pages of documents for the FAA
Earlier this month, we reported on a software glitch that pushed the MAX 10 past Alaska's September target. Tuesday's approval closes that chapter.
How big is the MAX 10?
Boeing gives these numbers for the 737-10:
| Spec | 737-10 |
|---|---|
| Typical seats, two classes | 185 to 210 |
| Maximum seating | 230 |
| Range | Up to 3,100 nautical miles |
| Fuel and CO2 cut | 20 percent |
Boeing does not say in the release what the 20 percent cut is measured against.
For comparison, Boeing says the 737-9 seats 175 to 195 in two classes. The 737-8 seats 160 to 180. So the MAX 10 is the stretch model: more seats, but a bit less range than its smaller siblings.
Who ordered it
Boeing says more than 30 customers have bought the 737-10, with 1,555 orders so far. That is more than 30 percent of the 737 MAX order book.
Alaska Airlines is one of the biggest buyers in the US. In a statement on Tuesday, Alaska said it has firm orders for 168 aircraft across the MAX family, most of them MAX 10s. That includes 105 more MAX 10s it ordered in January, the largest order in its history.
"Certification of the MAX 10 has been a rigorous, deliberate process, and we respect the work the FAA and Boeing have put into it," said Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci.
The lie-flat angle
Here is the part that matters most for premium travelers. Alaska says at least 25 of its MAX 10s will have 12 new Aurora lie-flat suites each, for transcontinental flights. Alaska says this is the first time in its history that lie-flat seats will be on its 737 fleet.
Alaska says it now expects its first MAX 10 in the second quarter of 2027. It has not said which routes the Aurora suites will fly first, or when the first lie-flat MAX 10 will carry passengers.
When can you fly one?
Not right away. Boeing says deliveries start in the coming months. Airlines then need time to train crews and add the jet to their schedules. Alaska's own timeline points to spring 2027 at the earliest for its first plane.
We'll update our coverage as airlines announce first routes. In the meantime, see every Boeing and Airbus order so far this month and our story on the smaller 737-7's certification.
