By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to announce on Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration has approved the Boeing 737 MAX 10 during a visit to Washington State, sources briefed on the plans told Reuters.
Duffy is set to appear on Tuesday at a Boeing factory in Everett, Washington to tout the FAA certification of the long-delayed larger variant of Boeing's best-selling airplane. Boeing in July opened a new line at the Everett plant
to expand 737 MAX production, which it also assembles in Renton.
Boeing referred questions to the FAA, which did not immediately comment.
The FAA on Friday conducted a review by the Type Certification Board, which is made up of FAA management team members, in a final step before the agency decides on certification.
Airlines have ordered nearly 1,500 MAX 10s, and the model accounts for about 30% of Boeing's outstanding 737 backlog. The planemaker has already built a handful of MAX 10s awaiting delivery.
The bigger plane that can carry more passengers is crucial to several airlines' growth plans. Major customers for the MAX 10 include United Airlines, Alaska, Ryanair, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.
Boeing has faced a more stringent certification process since two fatal MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, as well as scrutiny of the company's production and quality systems after a January 2024 mid-air cabin panel blowout on a nearly new Alaska Airlines MAX 9.
Duffy last week met with the chief executives of major aerospace companies including Boeing, RTX, Honeywell, GE Aerospace, Textron, Gulfstream and others in Georgia to discuss how the certification process can be improved.
The FAA in August gave long-awaited approval to the smaller 737 MAX 7 after reviewing the plane for more than eight years. Before the delays, Boeing had initially planned to start delivering the MAX 10 in 2020.
A problem with the anti-ice system on 737 MAX engines that arose in 2023 further delayed certification of the MAX 7 and 10.
A glitch with the latest update of the 737 MAX's navigation software threatened to further delay certification when Boeing disclosed it in late September. However, the FAA determined it did not pose a safety concern and did not require Boeing to fix the problem as a condition of certifying the plane.
Boeing is still working on certifying the 777-9, its largest jetliner in production, which is already six years behind schedule. The company has said it expects to complete certification and begin deliveries in 2027.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jonathan Spicer )
