Boeing’s 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 move closer to certification

Boeing’s two most-delayed 737 MAX variants moved closer to certification as U.S. and European regulators advanced the final steps needed to clear the jets for passenger service. For airlines that have waited years for the MAX 7 and MAX 10, the latest progress narrows the gap between commercial urgency and the public trust that was shaken by Boeing’s safety failures.

Officials at the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency have been making steady progress on certification, with the FAA’s review nearing completion and EASA treating the MAX 10 as a top priority. Certification is the final safety signoff before an aircraft can carry passengers, and for Boeing, it remains the last major barrier after years of production delays, customer frustration and intense oversight.

One of the remaining technical questions centers on an engine anti-ice system that can overheat if it runs too long in dry conditions. Much of the work now appears to be paperwork and regulatory closure, but that paperwork still matters for airlines that have built fleet plans around the two jets. Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said in May that the 737-7 and 737-10 programs were in the final stages of certification and expected approval in 2026, with the 737-10 roughly 80% through certification flight testing.

The timing is especially important for Southwest Airlines, which depends heavily on the MAX 7 for its fleet renewal strategy. Southwest said on June 6 that it now expects the MAX 7 to enter revenue service in 2027, pushing back the start of deliveries and underscoring how long the aircraft has been stuck in limbo. Southwest’s original order called for 100 firm MAX 7s, with the first 30 expected in 2022.

The MAX 10 is aimed at carriers that want more seats on dense domestic and short-haul routes, and it has drawn more than 1,400 orders, according to recent industry tallies. Boeing says the broader 737 MAX family has more than 100 customers worldwide and about 7,000 firm orders. Aviation Capital Group added to that backlog in January, ordering 50 737 MAX jets including 25 737-10 airplanes.

Regulatory scrutiny remains intense after the 2018 and 2019 MAX crashes and the January 6, 2024 grounding of 171 Boeing 737-9 aircraft in U.S. airline service or U.S. territory after the Alaska Airlines door-plug incident. Yet the certification process has also changed. The FAA said in September 2025 that it would allow limited delegation to Boeing for issuing airworthiness certificates on some 737 MAX and 787 aircraft starting September 29, while requiring updated flightcrew alerting rules for U.S.-registered 737 MAX models.

For Boeing, approval of the MAX 7 and MAX 10 would mark a major step toward restoring the full MAX family to the market. For airlines, it would bring long-awaited clarity to fleet and route planning. For passengers, it would be another test of whether Boeing and its regulators have truly moved beyond the crisis that defined the program.