FAA nears approval of Boeing 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10

Boeing’s next two 737 MAX variants are edging toward approval, a milestone that would carry weight far beyond the factory floor. The smaller MAX 7 and larger MAX 10 have spent years in certification review, and progress in both the United States and Europe would give airlines new aircraft options while signaling that regulators are closer to ending one of aviation’s most closely watched approval processes.

For Boeing, the stakes are commercial and reputational. The 737 MAX family is still central to the company’s narrow-body strategy, and Boeing says the line has more than 100 customers worldwide and about 7,000 firm orders. That backlog gives the program long-term value, but every delay has also kept customers waiting for aircraft they built fleet plans around, from short-haul routes to high-density domestic flying.

Trust remains the real test. The FAA grounded the Boeing 737 MAX on March 13, 2019, after its review found seven safety issues tied to the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes. That history still shapes how airlines, regulators and passengers view the program. Any new approval is not just a paperwork step; it is another checkpoint in Boeing’s effort to rebuild confidence in a model that was once the company’s flagship narrow-body.

The regulatory hurdles have not disappeared. Boeing said MAX 10 certification testing was still under way in 2026, including flight-test and brake-testing work, and the FAA’s 2025 guidance on the 737 MAX family included flightcrew-alerting changes for the 737-7, 737-8, 737-8200, 737-9 and 737-10. Europe’s review has also mattered, because the European Union Aviation Safety Agency used extensive multi-agency validation in the MAX return-to-service process, underscoring how global certification depends on more than one regulator signing off.

Airline plans are already being shaped by the timing. Southwest Airlines expects the MAX 7 to enter revenue service in 2027, making the smaller variant important to its network and replacement schedule. Alaska Airlines said in 2026 that it ordered 105 737-10s and secured rights for 35 more, calling it the largest aircraft order in its history and extending delivery slots through 2035. Boeing says the MAX family offers about a 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and fuel use, a selling point as carriers try to cut costs and refresh fleets. If the FAA and European authorities finish the job, the approval would open the door to deliveries, but the scrutiny that followed the grounding will remain part of the aircraft’s story for years.