The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday boeing The 737 Max 10 is a major victory for the manufacturer after years of delays and is the last member of Boeing Co.’s best-selling family of jets to receive government approval.
The green light came weeks after federal authorities investigated a problem with the plane’s navigation system and determined it was not a flight safety issue.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC’s Phil LeBeau that safety is a top priority, but he also said the U.S. needs to improve its certification process.
“It takes Boeing about half, less than half the time to certify an aircraft in Europe compared to the United States. China is now trying to take over the airline industry,” Duffy said. “In order to compete as Americans, we need to certify aircraft faster.”
The 737 Max 10, the largest model in the family and capable of seating up to 230 people, was scheduled to begin flying in 2020, but increased scrutiny following two Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 and other safety issues delayed certification. Technological changes were also required, such as the anti-icing system for the aircraft’s engines.
Contains up to 10 customers alaska airlines, american airlines, united airlines and delta airlines. Boeing says the Max 10 makes up about 30% of its Max backlog.
Airlines can finally start flying passengers soon after the aircraft is certified, but it can take months for airlines to incorporate it into their schedules.
“Completing the certification program paves the way for deliveries of Boeing aircraft that set a new standard in the commercial aviation industry,” Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a news release.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC in August that the airline had waited so long for the Max 10 that the lie-flat seats it expected on the plane were no longer relevant and were sitting in storage. Alaska Airlines announced last month that it plans to install lie-flat seats on some of its 737 Max 10s to offer more premium service.
In early August, the FAA approved the Max 7, the smallest model in the 737 Max family.
Boeing is working to ramp up production of the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner, which will be key to the company’s recovery as airlines and other customers pay most of the price of the planes upon delivery. In July, the company opened a fourth production line in Everett, Washington, for the 737 Max aircraft.
