What you need to know: The FAA says it has identified no current obstacles to certifying the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 in 2026. Boeing is in Phase 2 certification flight testing with the anti-ice redesign complete. When approval comes, Everett’s North Line becomes the factory where Boeing builds its largest narrowbody jet.
For four years, two of Boeing’s most commercially important aircraft have sat in a regulatory holding pattern. The 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 — the smallest and largest members of the MAX family — have been waiting on FAA certification that has been delayed, complicated, and pushed forward through multiple redesign cycles.
As of April 2026, that wait is nearly over.
On April 21, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters that regulators have not identified any issues that would prevent Boeing from securing certification for both variants before the end of the year. Boeing’s Q1 2026 earnings report, released April 22, stated plainly that the company is “expecting certification of the 737-7 and 737-10 later in 2026.”
For Everett, that timeline matters more than almost anywhere else in aviation. The 737 North Line — Boeing’s new Everett assembly facility opening this summer — was designed, at least in part, around the MAX 10. When certification clears, Everett becomes the primary production home for the largest narrowbody Boeing has ever built.
What Took So Long
The delays trace back to one stubborn technical problem: the engine inlet anti-ice system.
The 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 use CFM International’s LEAP-1B engine, whose carbon-composite inlet can overheat when the anti-ice system runs in prolonged icing conditions. That thermal stress creates a risk of structural damage or debris release — an unacceptable outcome from an FAA certification standpoint.
Boeing’s first proposed fix didn’t work. Engineers went back to the drawing board. Then a second redesign was tested and validated. Aviation Week reported that Boeing ultimately completed the inlet anti-ice redesign, clearing the path for final certification flight testing to proceed. The FAA authorized Phase 2 TIA (Type Inspection Authorization) flight testing for the MAX 10 in late 2025, covering a wider range of systems including avionics, propulsion, and flight controls. Phase 2 is the final stage before type certification.
The MAX 7 and MAX 10 are the only two 737 MAX variants still awaiting FAA type certification — every other member of the MAX family has been in service for years.
The Q3 2026 Target
Boeing hasn’t committed publicly to a specific certification quarter. But signals from its largest customers tell a consistent story.
At a Brussels Airport event on March 20, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told reporters that Boeing expects certification in the third quarter of 2026. Ryanair — one of the world’s largest Boeing customers with 215 MAX 10 aircraft on order — has first deliveries targeted for spring 2027. O’Leary’s Q3 target aligns with Boeing’s own earnings guidance of “later in 2026.”
WestJet, the designated launch customer for the MAX 10, expects the aircraft to enter service in late 2026 or early 2027. The Canadian carrier has structured its fleet planning around the MAX 10 filling seat-density gaps on high-demand domestic routes. Southwest Airlines, with 349 MAX 7 aircraft on order, is the launch customer for the smaller variant.
FAA Administrator Bedford was careful to note that ongoing flight testing could still surface new problems — certification timelines in aviation are conditional by definition. But after years of delays driven by the anti-ice redesign, the program has cleared its most technically complex hurdle.
Why the MAX 10 Belongs in Everett
The 737 MAX 10 is a different machine from its siblings. At 200 inches of maximum fuselage stretch — longer than any 737 in history — it carries up to 230 passengers in a high-density configuration. That size creates production considerations that Boeing’s existing three Renton lines aren’t configured to absorb at full volume.
CEO Kelly Ortberg has stated that the 737 MAX 10 will be produced “predominantly” at the Everett North Line. The logic is practical: isolating the most complex MAX variant on a dedicated Everett line allows the three Renton facilities to maintain faster, more efficient flow rates on the 737-8 and 737-9, which make up the bulk of the global order book.
Boeing’s Q1 2026 delivery performance showed the company out-delivered Airbus for the first time since 2019, with 143 jets delivered in the quarter. The North Line’s eventual contribution to Boeing’s monthly totals depends directly on the MAX 10 certification clearing and the Everett production system ramping to full rate.
Boeing has been hiring 100 to 140 new factory workers per week in 2026 to support both its widebody programs and the North Line ramp. That workforce, assembled at a remarkable pace even by pre-strike standards, will eventually need MAX 10-specific expertise as the program moves into full production.
The Certification Sequence and What Comes Next
Boeing’s pattern on major certifications in 2026 has been methodical progress. The FAA’s clearance of Phase 4A on the 777X earlier this spring demonstrated that Boeing’s certification apparatus is functioning — regulators are processing major milestones and the relationship between Boeing and the FAA has stabilized considerably since the difficult period following the 737 MAX groundings in 2019.
The MAX 7 and MAX 10 are next in that queue. Both share the same LEAP-1B anti-ice redesign, so a certification process that clears one is expected to clear both in close succession. Boeing’s stated preference is a simultaneous or near-simultaneous certification — two type certificates, one engineering fix.
The close-out of the 737 wiring rework program earlier this month — all 25 affected jets reworked and most delivered — added another chapter to Boeing’s 2026 story of systematically closing safety and quality loops on the MAX program. The MAX 7 and MAX 10 certification is the biggest remaining chapter.
The Everett Stakes
Every aircraft type that gains FAA certification and enters production represents jobs. In Snohomish County, that math is particularly direct. Boeing employs roughly 42,000 people in the greater Everett area across its Everett factory, Paine Field operations, and adjacent facilities.
The MAX 10 program, once certified and flowing through the North Line, adds a new category of work to that count: narrowbody final assembly. Everett has never done this in its 60-year history as a Boeing production site. Every 737-10 that rolls out of the Everett factory represents work — wing installation, systems integration, fuselage joining, interiors, paint prep — that wouldn’t exist in Snohomish County without the North Line.
The economic multiplier on that work extends across the aerospace supply chain. The 5,200-worker shortage documented by the Aerospace Futures Alliance through the end of 2026 is driven in part by anticipation of the North Line ramp. When MAX 10 certification clears and deliveries begin in 2027, that demand signal gets real in ways it hasn’t been before.
For Everett’s aerospace-dependent economy, the MAX 7 and MAX 10 certification isn’t background news from Seattle. It’s the event that determines what kind of aerospace city Everett becomes in the next decade — a widebody-only town, or a full-spectrum Boeing manufacturing hub. By all current accounts, that question is on a path to being answered by year’s end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Boeing 737 MAX 10?
The 737 MAX 10 is the largest variant of Boeing’s MAX family, capable of carrying up to 230 passengers in high-density configurations. It is the last major MAX variant awaiting FAA type certification, with first deliveries expected in 2027.
When will the Boeing 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 be certified?
As of April 2026, Boeing expects FAA certification “later in 2026.” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary cited a Q3 2026 target based on Boeing communications. The FAA Administrator has stated no current obstacles to year-end certification have been identified.
What was the engine anti-ice issue that delayed certification?
The CFM LEAP-1B engine’s carbon-composite inlet could overheat when the anti-ice system operated in prolonged icing conditions, potentially causing structural damage or debris release. Boeing completed a redesigned anti-ice system that resolved the issue and allowed Phase 2 TIA flight testing to proceed.
Why is Everett important for 737 MAX 10 production?
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has said the MAX 10 will be built predominantly at Everett’s North Line, which adds narrowbody production capacity above 47 aircraft per month. The North Line is the first Boeing facility outside Renton to assemble 737s commercially.
Who are the launch customers for the MAX 7 and MAX 10?
WestJet is the designated launch customer for the 737 MAX 10. Ryanair has 215 on order with deliveries targeted from spring 2027. Southwest Airlines is the launch customer for the MAX 7 with 349 aircraft on order.
What is Phase 2 TIA in Boeing’s FAA certification process?
Type Inspection Authorization Phase 2 is the final stage of FAA flight testing before type certification. It evaluates a wider range of systems than Phase 1, including avionics, propulsion, and flight controls. The FAA cleared the MAX 10 for Phase 2 testing in late 2025.
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