Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 10

Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration is expected by the end of September 2026. Alaska Airlines anticipates receiving its first of the type in spring 2027, marking a major milestone after years of regulatory scrutiny.

Boeing states all certification flight testing for the 737 MAX 10 has been completed. The company is now working through final documentation with the FAA. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said only last week that certification of the 737-10 was coming 'very soon'. The last planned certification flight occurred on July 28, testing cabin systems. By that point, the programme had accumulated more than 2,000 flight-test hours across nearly 1,000 flights.

Alaska’s order and delivery plans

Alaska Airlines expects to introduce the Boeing 737 MAX 10 into passenger service between April and mid-May 2027. The airline placed the largest aircraft order in its history in January 2026, including 105 Boeing 737 MAX 10s. It also holds purchase rights for an additional 35 aircraft.

The carrier is targeting 22 deliveries of the MAX 10 in 2027, followed by another 30 in 2028. As of June 30, Alaska had firm orders for 168 737s for delivery between 2027 and 2035, plus purchase rights for another 71. Alaska already operates Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft and plans to use the MAX 10 to replace older 737s and support growth.

Chief Operating Officer Jason Berry described the schedule as 'sporting', but added: 'We’re not panicking yet.' The airline retains the ability to switch its MAX 10 orders to another 737 variant if necessary.

Operational and technical considerations

Alaska currently does not plan to install lie-flat seats on its MAX 10s, although Berry said that remains an option. The airline must also finish certification work associated with the head-up display used by its pilots after the main MAX 10 approval. Berry expects this secondary process to require a 'few months'.

He said the airline could deploy the larger aircraft on heavily travelled routes including New York and Boston, adding seats without increasing frequencies. In its highest-density configuration, the Boeing 737 MAX 10 can accommodate up to 230 passengers.

Broader context and challenges

The MAX 10, officially designated the 737-10, is the largest member of the 737 MAX family. It sits above the MAX 7, MAX 8, and MAX 9 variants and competes directly with the Airbus A321neo, A321LR, and A321XLR. One of the biggest technical obstacles during development was the engine anti-ice system, which posed a risk of overheating and potential damage to the engine nacelle.

The certification path follows significantly greater regulatory scrutiny of the MAX programme after the 2018 and 2019 fatal crashes of the MAX 8. Oversight intensified again following the January 2024 in-flight door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. The FAA has been operating under far greater scrutiny of Boeing since those events, though it restored Boeing’s authority to issue airworthiness certificates for new MAX aircraft in July after an eight-month review.

The variant remains a key part of Boeing's lineup. The MAX 10 accounted for about 31% of Boeing’s undelivered 737 orders at the end of June. Well over 1,000 units have been ordered in total by various carriers.

Certification does not mean immediate passenger service. Boeing must deliver the aircraft, and airlines need time for crew training, maintenance preparation, and operational introduction. The MAX 10 has assumed even greater importance for Alaska following its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, as it develops a network ranging from dense domestic routes to long-haul international services.

Alaska Airlines plans to receive its first Boeing 737 MAX 10 in spring 2027 and introduce it into passenger service between April and mid-May 2027.