Walkaround

Boeing

737 MAX

MAX 7, MAX 8, MAX 9, MAX 10

in production CFM LEAP-1B 5 min read · updated 5 November 2026 · checked 6 November 2026

Two independent sources on every claim.

Boeing 737 MAX
Photo: AVA Navigate, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Type card

VariantsMAX 7, MAX 8, MAX 8200, MAX 9, MAX 10
EnginesCFM International LEAP-1B
Typical seating138 to 204 depending on variant
AssemblyRenton, Washington, with a second line at Everett
StatusIn production
CertifiedMAX 8 in 2017, MAX 9 in 2018, MAX 7 in August 2026, MAX 10 in October 2026

Program and production

Ortberg told investors at the Morgan Stanley Laguna conference on 16 September that Boeing is "not stable yet" at 47 single aisle aircraft per month. That matters because the FAA lifted its production cap and cleared Boeing to move to 47 back in May 2026, so the constraint is no longer regulatory. It is industrial, and Ortberg named the specific problem: Boeing's own wing manufacturing operation at Renton, rather than the outside supply chain the company has pointed to for most of the past two years.

Rate 52 by the end of 2026, a target Boeing set for itself, now looks out of reach, and in third quarter results reported 27 October the company confirmed it is now targeting the second half of 2027 for that step. Boeing's own count, published 13 October 2026, put September MAX deliveries at 43 aircraft, with the third quarter closing at 124 and the year to date total at 367, the highest nine month figure since deliveries began in 2017. That is still short of the 47 a month target, a gap Reuters reported Ortberg as calling "not stable yet."

Certification had been the better news. The FAA granted the amended type certificate for the 737-7 on 3 August 2026. A flight management computer software defect, detailed under Technical and maintenance below, held up MAX 10 certification from 28 September until the FAA cleared it on 2 October, reopening the path to certification. The FAA then issued the MAX 10's own amended type certificate on 20 October, as detailed above. First deliveries of both the MAX 7 and MAX 10 are still targeted for 2027, since production and delivery readiness, not the paperwork, now set the pace.

The FAA's certificate does not cover European operators. EASA has not yet validated the MAX 10, and its executive director said before the FAA decision that the agency was making "very good progress" on closing out the last actions. Aviation Week reported after the FAA certified the aircraft that EASA views the US decision as the trigger for its own final validation steps, which the agency expects will take a few more months.

On the line

A customer flying the MAX 10 under an EASA operating certificate, rather than an FAA one, should not assume the US certification date applies to them. Check with your national authority before planning around an October delivery slot for a European registered aircraft.

Technical and maintenance

The flight management computer software defect that briefly held up MAX 10 certification is now closed out. Boeing disclosed it on 26 September 2026: under a specific go around scenario with the autopilot engaged, the flight guidance system can drop out of vertical navigation, its automated climb and descent mode, into a simpler mode that hands the crew more manual workload at a busy moment. GE Aerospace supplies the affected software, versions 14 and 14.1. The FAA's Corrective Action Review Board, convened once Administrator Bryan Bedford paused MAX 10 certification on 28 September, concluded on 2 October that there is no safety of flight risk, since pilots retain full control and cockpit indications stay clear, according to CNBC and Bloomberg.

On the line

No Airworthiness Directive followed and none is expected. The software remains in service fleet wide pending Boeing's permanent fix, originally due in 2028 and now being brought forward, so keep reinforcing go around procedure familiarity in the meantime.

A separate item is the bear strap Airworthiness Directive, adopted 6 August 2026 and effective 10 September, covering cracking risk in the fuselage reinforcement around the forward galley door cutout on 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200 models. It reaches 471 US registered aircraft and about 1,429 worldwide, with a related repetitive inspection directive effective 22 October.

On the line

Aircraft that already carry a repair in that area need their records pulled, since a prior repair changes what the inspection asks for. Build the repetitive interval into the check package now.

A further, unrelated item followed on 21 September 2026: a proposed Airworthiness Directive for the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200 covering elevator buss assembly bearings installed without sealant. It is not yet in effect, covers 95 US registered aircraft, and comments remain open until 5 November 2026.

On the line

Check serial numbers built in the affected production window against Boeing's Alert RB now, rather than waiting for the AD to become mandatory.

Orders and operators

Combined orders for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 now exceed 1,700 aircraft, so the certification of both variants unlocks a large part of the backlog. Southwest is the anchor customer for the MAX 7 and United for the MAX 10.

Turkish Airlines finalised an order for up to 150 737 MAX aircraft on 23 September 2026, its largest Boeing single aisle order to date.

Allegiant Air exercised options for six more 737-8 aircraft on 23 October 2026, the first taken up under a 2021 purchase agreement with Boeing. The jets are due in 2028 and carry a combined list price above 720 million dollars. The order lifts Allegiant's firm commitment to 56 aircraft, with 74 options still open.

Delivery volume remains the constraint on fleet planning rather than order intake. Operators waiting on MAX 7 and MAX 10 aircraft have spent several years extending leases on older equipment, and nothing in the current rate picture suggests that pressure eases before 2027. Boeing's total company backlog reached a record 745 billion dollars at the end of the third quarter, including more than 6,300 commercial airplanes, up from 715 billion dollars three months earlier.

Safety

No new accident investigations involving the type opened in this period. The software defect was closed out as a continued airworthiness matter, not a safety of flight finding, per the FAA review above. The bear strap cracking remains a separate continued airworthiness matter.

Sources

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