(Oct 21): Boeing Co won US regulator approval for its 737 Max 10 jet, capping off a lengthy certification saga for the plane-maker’s family of narrowbody aircraft that was disrupted by two fatal crashes and a series of quality lapses. 

The 737 Max 10 is the largest of the company’s single-aisle aircraft and is Boeing’s response to rival Airbus SE’s A321neo. The plane’s 1,500-plus order book makes it one of the more popular Max variants, purchased by US carriers like United Airlines Holdings Inc and Alaska Air Group Inc. The Max 10’s smallest sibling, the 737 Max 7, was approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in August. 

“The FAA’s decision follows a thorough review of the aircraft’s design and safety requirements,” FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said in a news release, adding that the regulator will “continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards” moving forward. 

Bloomberg reported in July that the FAA was expected to certify the Max 10 around October. The timeline was briefly in doubt after the plane-maker disclosed a software glitch with the airplane’s navigation system, but an FAA panel determined the issue did not pose a safety risk. 

“The 737-10 offers greater capacity, longer range and the best seat economics in its class, a platform that will create more value and opportunities for airlines around the world,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive officer Stephanie Pope said in a statement on Tuesday. 

The Max 10 is one of Boeing’s most important new jets, offering airlines a solution to replace the out-of-production 757. Alongside the other Max models, the largest variant will help the plane-maker repair its balance sheet and pare down debt. The aircraft can seat as many as 230 passengers and fly for up to 3,100 nautical miles, according to Boeing’s website. 

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said streamlining aircraft certification is essential to America’s ability to compete with Europe and China, noting that it took nearly a decade to approve the Max 10. “I have to allow you all to certify ​aircraft faster,” Duffy told a ceremony at Boeing’s widebody site north of Seattle on Tuesday. “You have to come to the market more quickly.”

Regulators in Canada and Europe are expected to complete their own Max 10 approvals in “probably a couple months”, Mike Sinnett, a Boeing executive over development programmes, said later. 

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee