Boeing's 737 MAX 10 Clears Final Certification Flight Test
Boeing's 737 MAX 10 recently completed its final planned certification flight test. The aircraft took off from and landed at Boeing Field in Washington, after logging 976 flights totaling over 2,060 hours of airtime and more than 1,040 ground test hours.
The test confirmed the audibility of the lavatory smoke detector and cabin speaker system, ensuring crews can detect and respond to onboard alerts. This is a significant milestone in the development process, as the MAX 10 team now focuses on closing remaining development assurance reviews and submitting final deliverables to the FAA for regulatory review.
Boeing initially planned to deliver the first MAX 10s in 2020, but delays due to the global grounding of all MAX variants in 2019, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and issues with the type's anti-ice system pushed back the target delivery date. The team is now working toward certification in 2026, with commercial deliveries expected to begin in 2027.