The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will delay certification of Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 while it evaluates a software problem affecting certain MAX aircraft, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said on September 28, 2026.
Bedford did not say how long approval of the largest 737 MAX variant would be delayed.
“We will be delaying the 10 until we’re satisfied that we don’t have an issue here,” he told reporters at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to Reuters.
Boeing disclosed the problem on September 26, saying pilots could lose access to automated flight guidance during a specific landing scenario. The company said it had notified operators and was developing a software update.
The FAA had previously announced plans to convene a Corrective Action Review Board to examine the issue. Bedford’s comments confirm that the review will affect the MAX 10’s certification timing.
Bedford identified GE Aerospace as the software supplier and said a correction could come relatively quickly, although he could not say whether that would take days, weeks or months. He also said pilots retained control of the aircraft despite the software problem.
Boeing told Reuters it would continue following the FAA’s lead through certification.
The delay comes less than two weeks after Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said MAX 10 certification was expected “very soon.” Speaking at an investor conference on September 16, Ortberg said flight testing was complete and Boeing was working with the FAA on the final documentation.
WestJet said its MAX fleet includes aircraft using the software under review, but that it had experienced no related in-service events. The Canadian airline said it did not regard the issue as a safety concern and had operating procedures and training to manage such an event.
United Airlines and Alaska Airlines said none of their aircraft currently use the affected software. United said it was not accepting deliveries of aircraft equipped with the version under review, while Alaska said it was working with Boeing and the FAA as they assessed the problem, Reuters reported.
Alaska had expected MAX 10 certification by the end of September 2026. Its chief operating officer, Jason Berry, told Reuters on September 24 that the airline planned to receive its first aircraft in spring 2027.
The smaller MAX 7 received FAA certification on August 3, 2026. That approval followed changes including a redesigned engine anti-ice system, flight-control software updates and improvements to flightcrew alerts.