By Dan Catchpole and Rajesh Kumar Singh
SEATTLE, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Alaska Air expects Boeing's 737 MAX 10 to be certified by the end of September and plans to take delivery of its first aircraft next spring, Chief Operating Officer Jason Berry told Reuters on Thursday.
The airline expects to put the MAX 10 into passenger service between April and mid-May, Berry said.
The Federal Aviation Administration must certify the MAX 10, whose approval has already been delayed for years, before Boeing can begin
deliveries. Any further delay could put pressure on Alaska's planned timetable for introducing the jet.
Berry said Alaska would still need to complete certification work related to the head-up display used by pilots after the aircraft itself is approved, a process he said would take a "few months."
The tight timeline "is sporting," he said, adding that "we're not panicking yet."
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said last week that certification of the 737-10 was coming "very soon." Flight testing has been completed and Boeing is working through final documentation with the FAA.
Boeing declined to comment further on Thursday.
ALASKA GROWTH PLANS
Certification is an important milestone for Boeing's financial recovery. The MAX 10, the largest version of the 737 MAX family, accounted for about 31% of Boeing's undelivered 737 orders at the end of June.
Alaska has also made the aircraft a major part of its growth plans. Berry said the carrier now expects 22 MAX 10 deliveries in 2027 and 30 in 2028. In January, Alaska placed the largest aircraft order in its history, including 105 MAX 10s and rights for another 35.
The larger jet will allow Alaska to add seats on busy routes such as New York and Boston without adding more flights, Berry said.
Alaska currently has no plans to install lie-flat seats on the MAX 10, although Berry said that remains an option.
(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle and Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Jonathan Spicer )
