Boeing is not expected to have type certification for the 737 MAX 10 before the summer, according to an FAA letter seen by Reuters.
The largest variant of the 737 ever created, the MAX 10 will be able to carry up to 230 passengers and is a response to the successful A321neo. Boeing has been getting an increasing volume of orders for the model in recent months and intended to certify it by December.
The reason is that the US Congress has passed a new law that expands requirements on cockpit safety, forcing manufacturers to invest in a new warning system capable of avoiding the problems that brought down two 737 MAXs in 2018 and 2019.
The law will take effect in 2023 and could delay the 737 MAX 10 and 737 MAX 7 programs if they are not approved later this year.
Boeing’s hope is that a proposal by Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, to extend the deadline to the end of 2024 will pass Congress, giving significant scope for the two programs to be completed.
Planemaker is racing to approve the first 737 MAX 7, an aircraft that has a huge order from Southwest, the world’s biggest 737 customer.
Some of the MAX 10 documentation is also included with the MAX 7, hence the need to get the type certificate first, said Dave Calhoun, Boeing CEO.
