Final Boeing 737 MAX 10 Test Flight Completed As Boeing Moves Towards 2026 Certification

After 976 test flights, logging 2,060 flight hours and 1,040 hours for ground testing, Boeing flew its last 737 MAX 10 test flight on July 28, bringing the aircraft one step closer to certification.

The test scope validated the full spectrum of certification requirements, including main landing gear, brakes on wet runways and maximum‑energy stops, the 737 Engine Anti‑Ice (EAI) solution, and the enhanced Angle of Attack (eAoA) system.

“Reaching this milestone is a huge testament to the commitment and dedication of the entire team,” said Chris Payne, vice president and general manager of 737 Development Programs. “Thank you to everyone who gave so much of themselves to get us here. This is an important step on our journey, and we’re focused on building on it as we move forward.”

Using aircraft 1G003, the last flight was used to evaluate cabin systems including confirming audibility of the lavatory smoke detector and cabin speaker system, ensuring crews can detect and respond to onboard alerts.

Even though the flight-testing aspect is out of the way, Boeing still has to complete and submit the relevant documentation and safety-analysis work supporting those test results. Development Assurance Review 4 is currently 60% completed, and covers how Boeing designed and verified the aircraft’s systems, particularly complex software and electronic systems where ordinary testing cannot cover every possible condition.

They are also 32% done with System Safety Assessments, which is a structured process for identifying risks in aircraft-system designs and showing that the systems meet the applicable safety requirements.

Once these two tasks are completed, they will be submitted along with other supporting documentation to the FAA for final review and approval, before they are granted an amended type certificate.

The MAX 7 is also progressing nicely, and is slightly ahead of the MAX 10. As per a July 16 update, they are about 95% complete in terms of documents submissions, after completing 441 flights with 686 flight hours and 349 ground testing hours.

Boeing hopes to receive type certification before the end of 2026 so that delivery can start the next year. In terms of orders, Southwest has at least 250+ for the 737 MAX 7 while some of the largest MAX 10 bookings include Alaska Airlines with 168 firm orders, United Airlines with 167, Ryanair with 150 and Delta Air Lines with 100.

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