FAA certifies the 737 MAX 10, the jet behind Alaska Airlines' biggest order

The Federal Aviation Administration certified Boeing's 737 MAX 10 on Oct. 20, clearing the way for Alaska Airlines to start receiving the jet that makes up most of its order for 168 Boeing 737 MAX planes.

Alaska expects its first MAX 10 in the second quarter of 2027. The plane is the largest version of the 737 MAX, typically seating 185 to 210 passengers in two classes, according to Boeing.

At least 25 of Alaska's MAX 10s will have 12 Aurora lie-flat suites each for transcontinental flights, the first lie-flat seats on any of the airline's 737s, according to an airline statement.

Those 168 are firm orders. They include 105 MAX 10s from an order in January that Alaska calls the largest in its history.

"These modern, fuel-efficient airplanes will help us connect more people to more of the world," Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci said in the statement.

Alaska Air Group said last week it now expects to lose money in 2026 after jet fuel came in $1.8 billion over its plan.

Before approving the MAX 10, the FAA required changes to meet the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, which Congress passed after two 737 MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, and National Transportation Safety Board recommendations. They include updates to the flight-control system with an enhanced angle-of-attack sensor, the type of sensor whose faulty readings figured in both crashes.

Boeing said the MAX 10 is the first commercial airplane certified to the full extent of that law. Its testing included nearly 1,000 flights, more than 2,000 flight hours and 1,000 hours of ground tests.

"We will continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards as the company begins production of the 737 MAX-10," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in the agency's announcement.