Boeing MAX progress

Boeing says the 737 Max 7 and Max 10 are still on track for Federal Aviation Administration certification in 2026, with first deliveries planned for 2027. (boeing.com) The update came with Boeing’s April 22 first-quarter results, which said the 737 program is producing 42 jets a month and that the 737-10 has entered Type Inspection Authorization 2, a late phase of certification flight testing. (boeing.com) CNBC reported the company repeated that timetable a day after earnings, saying the long-delayed smallest and largest Max variants are still expected to win approval later this year and begin customer deliveries next year. (cnbc.com) The technical hold-up is the engine anti-ice system, which heats part of the engine inlet to prevent ice buildup, like a car defroster for the front edge of the engine in cold, wet air. Boeing has now started formal certification flight tests of a redesigned version of that system. (theaircurrent.com) That fix matters because the Max 7 and Max 10 have been waiting for it before final approval, while earlier Max 8 and Max 9 jets operated under limits and temporary relief as Boeing worked on a permanent design change. (theaircurrent.com, aviationsourcenews.com) Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker’s successor, acting through the agency this week, said regulators see no current roadblocks that would prevent certification by the end of 2026, though testing is still underway. (bloomberg.com, americanmachinist.com) For Boeing, the timing lines up with a broader production recovery. The company said commercial airplane deliveries rose to 143 in the first quarter, up 10% from a year earlier, and operating cash flow improved to negative $179 million from negative $1.6 billion. (cnbc.com, boeing.com) Boeing also said it plans to raise 737 output to 47 a month this summer, a step airlines have been watching because the Max 10 in particular is a key aircraft for high-demand domestic routes. (boeing.com, finance.yahoo.com) The two variants have been years late. Their certification path tightened further after the January 5, 2024 Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout on a 737 Max 9 triggered a new Federal Aviation Administration cap on Boeing’s 737 production and broader scrutiny of its manufacturing system. (cnbc.com, aviationsourcenews.com) The next marker is simple: finish the anti-ice testing, clear the remaining Federal Aviation Administration reviews, and turn a 2026 certification target into 2027 handovers to airlines. (boeing.com, theaircurrent.com)