Finally Certified: The 737 MAX 10, and Why United Flyers Should Care

On October 20, Boeing's 737-10, better known as the MAX 10, was certified and cleared for commercial service. The Associated Press called the FAA's approval the end of "years of delays," after "technical and regulatory hurdles repeatedly delayed certification." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy summed it up: "To think that it took us almost 10 years to get here."

United has been waiting on this airplane for a long time. AirData News notes it was one of the original customers announced when Boeing launched the variant in 2017, and that Boeing described it as a launch customer. The AP names United among the type's major customers, along with Delta, American and Ryanair. In all, Boeing says it has 1,555 MAX 10 orders from more than 30 customers.

Boeing says the MAX 10 typically seats 185 to 210 passengers, with a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles, and that its enhanced Angle of Attack system will become standard across the 737 MAX family. The AP reports that Boeing expects to begin deliveries in 2027. When United gets its first one is the open question, and the one that matters for flyers. Our read: certification turns the MAX 10 from a perennial asterisk in United's fleet plan into an airplane that can actually show up, and with it more seats per departure at hubs where gates and slots are the constraint.