New delay in Boeing 737 Max 10 certification

The expected regulatory approval for the Boeing 737 Max 10 has been delayed after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began reviewing a software-related issue. The FAA said it will not complete the certification process until it determines whether the problem poses any flight-safety risk.

The market reaction was swift. As investors priced in the possibility of yet another delay in Boeing’s years-delayed program, the company’s shares extended losses on Monday and fell by about 7%. The pullback underscored continuing uncertainty around the last model in the company’s best-selling Max family still awaiting approval.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors earlier this month that approval could come soon. However, the company said over the weekend that it identified last month a software bug in certain 737 Max aircraft that could affect specific landing procedures.

Where did the software issue emerge?

According to the company, the problem can arise in scenarios involving the aircraft’s vertical navigation system when a missed approach is followed by a repositioning for landing. Boeing said pilots remain in control during the maneuver, such as when there is an obstacle on the runway, but the FAA is specifically assessing the workload impact.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the system does not take control away from pilots, but that the agency will not move forward until it clarifies the issue’s impact. In a written statement, the FAA said,

“Safety determines the certification timeline.”

  • U.S. airlines said they do not have any Max aircraft in their fleets affected by this issue.
  • One reason is that, when needed, the software can be rolled back to an earlier version instead of the new one.

Questions raised for Max 7 deliveries

The FAA certified the Max 7, the smallest model in the Max family, last month. Because those aircraft use the latest software version, the agency’s review of the same package has raised questions about whether deliveries to customers will be affected. The potential impact on buyers such as Southwest Airlines was said to remain unclear.

Commercial and regulatory risks grow for Boeing

Bedford said Boeing had fixed a previous software bug, but that an unexpected new issue emerged in the process. The development could again complicate the company’s effort to recover on safety and oversight after the two Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019.

Boeing had initially planned to begin delivering the Max 10 in 2020. Delayed by safety concerns and other technical issues, the model remains the last aircraft in the Max family still awaiting final certification. The new delay could add pressure to both the delivery schedule and cash flow expectations.