Boeing Running Out of Time for 737 Max 10 Certification

As the deadline to certify the Boeing 737 Max 10 in 2022 approaches, the OEM has fallen behind with regulators. Failure to comply with the regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will force the company to follow new cockpit alerting requirements under a 2020 law.

Boeing has not provided a timetable for the approval of the 737 Max 10. “Both the FAA and Boeing are working through a process that is different than what they were used to, which becomes challenging, regulators control the timeline, and it is up to Boeing to meet the certification plan,” said Mike Fleming, Senior Vice President, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, to Reuters. The FAA has warned Boeing that at this rate, it may not obtain the certification for the 737 Max 10 certification by the end of the year.

Boeing was asked to provide a “mature certification schedule,” but the OEM has not offered a clear approval timeline in a more challenging regulatory climate. “It is taking longer to get the approval of our documents than it has in the past,” said Fleming. The new regulations were implemented after two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people. Boeing’s problems have been magnified by supply chain disruptions fueled by labor and parts shortages. 

As of now, missing the 2022 deadline for the 737 Max 10 could force Boeing to revamp the plane’s crew alert system and institute separate pilot training, raising costs for airlines and putting orders at risk.

If Boeing does not gain the certification, it risks losing market to its rival Airbus, given a narrowbody sales gap with the latter’s long-range A321XLR. However, Boeing Marketing Executive Darren Hulst told Reuters that the 737 Max 10 would still serve the core of the medium-haul market. Airbus’ newest and largest narrowbody airliner, the A321XLR, took its maiden flight this week. The plane is part of the French planemaker’s strategy to capitalize on the demand for long-range single-aisle jets.

The Boeing 737 Max flies in Mexico through the country’s flagship airline Aeroméxico, which operates six units.