Boeing 737 Max 10 Certification Delay Looms Over Flight Management Software Issue

Boeing is facing yet another hurdle in its efforts to launch the final two 737 Max models, with a potential delay looming over the certification of the 737 Max 10 due to a flight management software issue.

The glitch, which emerged nearly two years ago, has drawn fresh scrutiny from US regulators and airline customers at an inopportune time for Boeing. The company was thought to be days away from finally certifying the 737 Max 10, crucial to its efforts to unlock cash from its record narrowbody order backlog.

Boeing is also preparing to begin deliveries of the Max 7, which was certified in August with the potentially problematic software update in place. The timing for both milestones will depend on the outcome of a safety review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), sources tell The Air Current.

Boeing says its engineers are working on an update to permanently address the issue, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. In the meantime, the company is reinforcing with airlines the piloting procedures for re-engaging automated vertical navigation, the function at the center of the FAA's safety review.