FAA Delays Boeing 737 MAX 10 Certification Due to Software Issue

In a significant setback to Boeing’s recovery efforts, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially postponed the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10. This decision follows the discovery of a software glitch in the largest variant of Boeing’s best-selling jet family on September 26, 2026.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford made the announcement during a press conference at Reagan Washington National Airport. He stated that the agency will not certify the MAX 10 until regulators are certain that the identified issue poses no safety risk. The software flaw, discovered in the GE Aerospace-supplied flight management computer (U.14 update), can cause the automated flight guidance system to revert from VNAV to basic pitch control during a missed approach maneuver. This significantly increases pilot workload, although pilots retain full manual control.

Bedford was direct: “We haven’t concluded whether this is a safety-of-flight issue or not, but we will be delaying the 10 until we’re satisfied that we don’t have an issue here.”

The FAA has established a Corrective Action Review Board to assess the risk, a process not expected to commence before early October.

Major carriers have already begun to respond to the situation. United Airlines has declined deliveries of aircraft with the affected software, and Southwest Airlines has made a similar request to Boeing. This news has had a significant impact on Wall Street, with Boeing shares falling 6.9%. The MAX 10 was anticipated to receive FAA approval as early as this month, making this delay a significant setback for the manufacturer.

Boeing has responded by stating that their engineers are developing a permanent software update and that existing MAX aircraft remain safe to fly.

Source: Flying Magazine – FAA: Software Glitch Will Delay 737 Max 10 Certification