CHICAGO, Illinois, September 29, 2026 — The Federal Aviation Administration said it would delay Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) certification of the company’s 737 MAX 10 after a newly discovered software issue emerged in final review. The announcement came as Boeing was on the verge of completing years of certification work with its largest single-aisle jet. Following the news, Boeing shares had just dropped nearly 7%.
What the FAA Found
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters the agency has not decided if the software problem is a legitimate flight safety concern. In another recent disclosure over the weekend, Boeing revealed that a software glitch in some 737 MAX aircraft could interrupt automated flight guidance during a specific type of landing. The FAA said it would defer final approval until that evaluation is done.
Last month the FAA certified a smaller member of the 737 MAX family, the 737 MAX 7, using an updated version of the same software that is at issue in this case. Bedford said that update solved a previously reported issue with the vertical navigation system, but created another, less significant bug. Regulators are now examining whether the same defect could impact the MAX 10, which already is not certified.
The 737 MAX 10 Variant Faces Years of Delays
There are continued material challenges with the jetliner, with engine anti-ice redesign work stretching out more than a year. The aircraft has amassed more than 2,060 flight hours from in excess of 976 flights through July when Boeing finished certification flight testing. Executives had at one point anticipated final certification in weeks, after Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg called the approval “coming very soon.”
Boeing’s MAX 10 backlog includes more than 1,500 orders, making it one of the best-selling variants in the larger end of the 737 family. Alaska Airlines was expecting certification ahead of late September with first deliveries planned for next spring. That schedule had already been described as tight by airline officials before this latest delay became apparent.
Effect on Airlines Awaiting Deliveries
Among significant customers awaiting delivery of the MAX 10 are United Airlines, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and various international carriers. Alaska Airlines senior vice president of operations had told media outlets the airline was “not currently concerned” with meeting its target delivery schedule in the spring. A prolonged hold due to this software bug would definitely complicate shipping contracts presently in position.
Pilots contacted about the software issue said they had not been aware of any problems with standard missed-approach procedures. Boeing said in a statement that it’s still following the FAA’s lead during this part of the certification process. Boeing and the FAA, however, did not provide a revised estimate of when certification might actually be final.
A Familiar Setback for Boeing
This isn’t the first software-induced defect to delay 737 MAX certification progress in recent years. Boeing’s program has been under extended regulatory review following a global grounding of the MAX 8 in 2019 due to two deadly crashes. Those groundings spurred regulators to further tighten aviation safety regulations for all new aircraft variants moving forward.
For Boeing, the certification setback comes at a delicate moment in its broader recovery efforts and cash flow aspirations. The MAX 10 is primarily at the core of Boeing’s strategy to compete with Airbus in the single-aisle jet market. The pace at which the FAA resolves this latest software query will most likely dictate how well investors gain confidence in Boeing’s ability to meet upcoming deadlines.
The decline in Boeing shares on Monday mirrored wider investor irritation with a certification process that has stretched years beyond earlier expectations. The company had hoped final approval would aid the firm in strengthening its cash position going into financial reports. That outlook becomes further complicated by the fact that Boeing is pushing back this deadline yet again.
Even though some of the software issues were relatively minor in scope, industry analysts say they have been examined more closely because of the MAX program’s history. Regulators have been reluctant to move quickly on any new issue related to the flight systems of the aircraft. That caution is the result of lessons learned from past MAX crashes that changed the entire certification process.
Boeing customers closely monitoring the situation include a number of carriers that made large orders based on earlier certification timelines. Any additional slippage may require airlines to return to their own fleet-planning and delivery timelines for next year. For now, all Boeing and its customers can do is wait for the FAA’s next update.
