Alaska Air Targets Boeing 737 MAX 10 Certification by Late September

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3 weeks ago

Alaska Air projects that the Boeing 737 MAX 10 will achieve certification by late September, with plans to take delivery of its first aircraft next spring to integrate it into scheduled revenue service.

The airline’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jason Berry, told Reuters that the carrier expects to enter the MAX 10 into passenger service between April and mid-May.

Delivery Timeline and the Regulatory Process

Before Boeing can formally commence customer deliveries, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must first type-certify the aircraft.

The 737 MAX 10 program is already running several years behind schedule, meaning any further delays in the technical certification process would jeopardize the carrier’s rollout timeline.

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Pending Steps Following FAA Approval

Once the narrowbody airliner receives the green light from federal regulators, Alaska Air must clear additional internal technical hurdles prior to launching commercial flights:

Systems Certification: The airline must certify the Head-Up Display (HUD) for its flight crews.
Estimated Timeframe: This additional process will take a “couple of months,” according to the executive.

Operational Outlook Amid Tight Schedules

Berry acknowledged that meeting such a tight timeline remains a demanding challenge, characterizing the schedule as “sporty,” though he added with optimism: “we are not in a panic yet.”