Boeing 737 MAX 10 Certified by FAA, First Deliveries in 2027

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the Boeing 737 MAX 10 on 20 October 2026, clearing the largest 737 for delivery to airlines. Boeing holds 1,555 orders for the type from more than 30 customers, and the first aircraft are expected in early 2027. For the airlines and lessors that ordered it, the question now is how quickly Boeing can turn that backlog into deliveries.

The FAA issued an amended type certificate, which confirms the design meets the applicable requirements, and an updated Production Limitation Record, which authorises production. Before approval it required changes drawn from the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act and from NTSB recommendations, including an enhanced angle of attack sensor in the flight control system. Boeing says that system will become standard across the 737 MAX family.

How big is the 737 MAX 10 order book?

Measure	Aircraft
737 MAX family orders (total)	7,350
737 MAX family delivered (to end-September 2026)	nearly 2,500
737 MAX 10 orders	1,555

The 737 MAX 10 accounts for 1,555 of the 7,350 orders for the 737 MAX family, of which nearly 2,500 had been delivered by the end of September 2026.Source: Boeing, 20 October 2026; Reuters, 20 October 2026 (figures for deliveries are approximate, given by Reuters as "nearly 2,500").

Boeing puts orders for the 737-10 at 1,555, which it says is more than 30 per cent of unfilled 737 MAX orders. IBA, the aviation consultancy, told Reuters the type accounts for 31 per cent of the outstanding 737 backlog. Across the whole MAX family Boeing has taken 7,350 orders and delivered nearly 2,500 by the end of September 2026.

The largest customers are United Airlines, Ryanair, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines, according to Aviacionline. Alaska ordered 105 more in January 2026, the largest order in its history, and now has firm orders for 168 MAX family aircraft, most of them the MAX 10. Aviation Capital Group (ACG), a launch customer, has 63 on order.

When will airlines receive the first 737 MAX 10?

ACG says it will deliver the first aircraft to WestJet. Reuters reports that delivery is due early next year, and WestJet’s chief executive, Alexis von Hoensbroech, said in June that he expected the type in service in the first quarter of 2027. Alaska Airlines expects its first in the second quarter of 2027.

FAA approval is not the end of the process for every customer. Mike Sinnett, the Boeing Commercial Airplanes senior vice president who oversees development programmes, told Reuters that Transport Canada and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) should follow in “probably a couple months”. WestJet needs the Canadian approval, and European operators such as Ryanair need EASA’s.

What the 737 MAX 10 offers operators

Variant	Typical two-class seats	Maximum range (nm)
737-7	135 to 160	3,800
737-8	160 to 180	3,500
737-9	175 to 195	3,300
737-10	185 to 210	3,100

The 737 MAX 10 carries the most passengers in the family and has the shortest range. Typical two-class seating and maximum range by variant.Source: Boeing, "U.S. FAA certifies Boeing 737-10, largest member of 737 MAX family", 20 October 2026.

Boeing says the 737-10 typically seats 185 to 210 passengers in two classes, with up to 230 in a maximum density layout, and has a range of 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 km). That is the shortest range in the family. The 737-8 flies up to 3,500 nautical miles and the 737-9 up to 3,300. ACG says the aircraft offers up to 20 per cent more revenue potential and 20 per cent lower fuel burn than the older types it will replace.

The comparison airlines will make is with the Airbus A321neo, which the MAX 10 was built to compete with. Boeing claims 365 nautical miles more range than competitors without auxiliary fuel tanks. That is a manufacturer claim, and buyers will test it against their own route requirements.

In Boston Warwick’s view, the main benefit for existing 737 operators is commonality. Pilots, spares and maintenance programmes carry across from the 737-8 and 737-9, so an airline can add seats on its densest routes without adding a new type. The shorter range matters less for carriers whose MAX 10 flying will be domestic or regional.

What certification means for lessors

ACG and other lessors carried residual value risk on an aircraft that had no certificate. That risk has narrowed. A certified type with more than 30 customers is easier to place and remarket than one still in testing.

Delivery timing is the remaining exposure. Boeing has given no delivery schedule beyond “the coming months”, and lease start dates depend on it. Lessors with placements for 2027 will be watching how fast Boeing clears aircraft already built. Aviacionline reports about a dozen customer airframes were built and waiting for the certificate. Boeing opened an additional 737 line at its Everett plant in July, according to Reuters.

Several airlines switched orders to the MAX 10 while it waited for approval. Boeing has not published the order in which its more than 30 customers will receive aircraft.

Talk to Boston Warwick

Boston Warwick advises airlines, lessors and investors on fleet decisions and aircraft transactions. If you are assessing 737 MAX 10 delivery positions or lease placements, our due diligence work covers order books, delivery risk and residual values. Contact us to arrange a call.