Boeing’s Longest-Delayed Jet Finally Has Its Licence to Fly

The US Federal Aviation Administration certified the Boeing 737-10 on October 20, signing off on the amended type certificate and production certificate for the largest member of the 737 MAX family. The approval ends years of delay and clears the way for the aircraft to enter commercial service, completing a family that now spans the 737-7, -8, -9 and -10.

The 737-10 typically seats 185 to 210 passengers and has a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles, or about 5,740 kilometres. Boeing says it has received 1,555 orders from more than 30 customers, which is over 30 percent of the MAX program’s current order book, and promotes the jet as having the lowest seat cost in its category.

Boeing also claims about a 20 percent reduction in fuel use and CO2 emissions compared with the aircraft it replaces. It notes that the 737 MAX is the first airplane certified with full compliance with the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, a law passed after the 737 MAX groundings.

For passengers, nothing changes overnight. Deliveries come next, and the first airlines to operate the type have not been named in Boeing’s announcement. Over the next couple of years, travelers on busy domestic and short-haul trunk routes are the most likely to start noticing the bigger cabin, as airlines use the extra seats to carry more people on existing flights.

Sources: Boeing, Khaleej Times