FAA Administrator Kelly Huffman announced today that Boeing’s 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 will be recertified by the end of 2026, with the larger 777X following in early 2027. The timeline clears the way for over 1,400 aircraft currently sitting in the delivery backlog and represents a major turning point for Boeing’s two most critical commercial programs.
Huffman made the announcement on May 28 at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Americas in Charleston, South Carolina. “I think we’ll get the MAX 7 first, then followed by the -10 and hopefully the 777 early next year,” he said. He also stated that Boeing hasn’t encountered any obstacles that would prevent the company from hitting its certification targets before 2026 ends.
737 MAX — Production Ramp and Backlog
Once recertified, the MAX 7 and MAX 10 will unlock deliveries of more than 1,400 MAX 10s alone. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Ryanair, and United Airlines are among the major customers waiting for these aircraft. Southwest Airlines, which has 234 MAX 7s on order, is standing by the aircraft despite the delays—first deliveries are now expected in 2027 or later.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg spoke about progress at the Bernstein financial conference on May 27. “There’s clearly light at the end of the tunnel here,” he said, noting that Boeing has received all required FAA Type Inspection Authorizations (TIAs) and is working through final flight tests. The company received clearance to ramp 737 MAX production to 47 aircraft per month, and Huffman indicated Boeing could push that to 52 units monthly within 60 to 90 days.
The MAX family has over 4,850 aircraft on backlog. Boeing delivered more than 150 MAX aircraft in the first five months of 2026, after completing 440 deliveries last year. A recent deal with Copa Airlines—worth $13.5 billion—added 60 aircraft across MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10 variants to the order book.
777X Certification and Lufthansa Deliveries
The 777X timeline marks a recovery for Boeing’s widebody program, which has racked up roughly $15 billion in cost overruns since launching in 2011. The program hit a snag when a mid-seal durability problem emerged on the GE9X engine in January 2024, but GE Aerospace and Boeing have both confirmed the fix won’t delay the 2027 delivery schedule.
Lufthansa, the launch customer with 20 aircraft on order, expects to take the first 777-9 in early 2027. Emirates is the largest 777X customer with 270 aircraft ordered—a mix of 777-8 and 777-9 variants. While waiting, Lufthansa reactivated retired Airbus A340s and A380s to fill capacity gaps.
Once MAX 7 and MAX 10 testing wraps up, Huffman said Boeing’s shared flight test organization will shift resources to the 777X program, speeding up the widebody certification process.
What’s Next
Boeing expects MAX 7 certification this summer, followed by MAX 10 approval before year-end. The company has delivered over 2,200 MAX aircraft since 2017, with global orders exceeding 4,850 pending. A fourth 737 production line at Everett is slated to open in early 2027 to support the higher output rate.
The FAA has also authorized Boeing to issue airworthiness certificates on MAX and 787 Dreamliner aircraft, with Boeing and FAA inspectors alternating weekly safety checks before delivery approval.
Sources
- Aviation Week & Space Technology
- FAA Administrator Kelly Huffman remarks, CAPA Airline Leader Summit Americas, May 28, 2026
- Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Bernstein Financial Conference, May 27, 2026
- Boeing Q1 2026 Earnings Statement
- GE Aerospace Official Statement, May 19, 2026
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