After years of delays, the Boeing 737 MAX 10 is showing real certification momentum. The FAA cleared the aircraft for Phase 2 — the final stage — of its Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) flight testing in late December 2025. Boeing began those tests in early January 2026, and on March 20, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary told reporters at a Brussels Airport event that Boeing expects certification in the third quarter of this year.
What Caused the Delays
Two technical issues drove the MAX 10's certification timeline from an original 2023 target to where it stands today.
The first was the engine anti-ice system. The CFM LEAP-1B engine's carbon-composite inlet can overheat when the anti-ice system is active, risking structural damage or debris release. The problem was first identified in early 2024 and affects all MAX variants — for in-service MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft, the FAA issued a temporary operational restriction limiting anti-ice use to actual icing conditions. But the MAX 7 and MAX 10 require a permanent fix before certification. Boeing committed to Congress and the FAA that it would resolve the issue before delivery, withdrew an earlier exemption request under political pressure, and spent most of 2024–2025 redesigning the engine inlet. That redesign is now completed.
The second issue is a redesigned crew alerting system — required by Congress following the Lion Air (October 2018) and Ethiopian Airlines (March 2019) crashes that killed 346 people. The updated system adds a synthetic third angle-of-attack (AoA) reference to help detect faulty sensor data — the original MCAS relied on a single AoA sensor — and gives pilots the ability to suppress stall warnings and overspeed alerts in specific abnormal scenarios. The FAA began its formal review of this system on December 12, 2025. Boeing plans to retrofit the updated alerting architecture across the entire in-service MAX fleet.
Where Things Stand Now
Phase 2 TIA testing covers FAA-supervised evaluation of avionics, propulsion, flight controls, and overall aircraft performance. It is the final major flight-test milestone before type certification can be granted.
Boeing has not committed to a specific certification date. CEO Kelly Ortberg has said the company is prioritising thoroughness over speed. Stephanie Pope, President of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said Boeing has invested thousands of engineering hours in the redesign and is now focused on getting the FAA to accept the certification plan. However, airline customers have been more specific in their public statements.
"They're pretty confident that they'll certify the MAX 7 in Q2 and the MAX 10 in Q3, which will be about six months in advance of our first 15 MAX 10 deliveries in the spring of 2027." — Michael O'Leary, Ryanair CEO, March 20, 2026 (via Reuters)
WestJet, the designated launch customer, expects the MAX 10 to enter service in late 2026 or early 2027. Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan has separately indicated that he expects the smaller MAX 7 to be certified by August 2026, with Southwest as its launch operator.
The Orders Behind the Aircraft
The MAX 10 has approximately 1,290 orders from airlines worldwide. United Airlines holds the largest commitment at 277 aircraft. Ryanair has 150 firm orders plus 150 options — the total value exceeds $40 billion at list prices, though large customers negotiate significant discounts. Alaska Airlines ordered 105 units plus 35 options. Delta Air Lines and WestJet also hold substantial positions.
The MAX 10 is Boeing's answer to the Airbus A321neo, which has been in service since 2017 and dominates the high-capacity narrowbody segment. With up to 230 seats, the MAX 10 offers airlines more capacity than the MAX 8 or MAX 9 without moving to widebody aircraft — making it ideal for high-demand short- and medium-haul routes where slot constraints limit frequency growth.
As of February 2026, Boeing has delivered approximately 2,200 aircraft across the MAX family and holds 4,845 unfilled orders. The FAA approved an increase in 737 production to 42 aircraft per month in October 2025.
What This Means for Pilots
Certification of the MAX 10 would directly create pilot demand at multiple airlines simultaneously. Each new aircraft requires roughly 10–12 pilots to crew at full utilisation. With over 1,200 aircraft on order, the MAX 10 represents thousands of new cockpit seats entering service over the next decade.
Ryanair is already investing €25 million per year in pilot recruitment ahead of its first 15 MAX 10 deliveries. United Airlines, with 277 MAX 10s on order, will need to staff those aircraft alongside its existing growth. WestJet, Alaska, and Delta face similar ramp-ups. For airlines already competing in what the industry calls a pilot salary "arms race," the MAX 10 adds another layer of recruitment pressure.
The MAX 10 shares the same type rating as other 737 MAX variants. Pilots already type-rated on the MAX 8 or MAX 9 will require differences training rather than a full type rating — a shorter and less expensive transition. For cadets and first officers entering the industry now, building time on any 737 MAX variant puts them in position for MAX 10 operations as deliveries accelerate through 2027–2030. Operators like Ryanair run year-round assessment days, making this one of the most accessible entry points into the MAX fleet.
The bottom line: the MAX 10 is not certified yet, and Boeing has missed previous targets. But Phase 2 testing is underway, both key technical redesigns are complete, and airline customers are publicly planning around a Q3 2026 approval. If that holds, deliveries begin in late 2026 to early 2027 — and the hiring that follows will be substantial.
