The US FAA is reportedly set to announce the certification of Boeing (BA.US) 737 MAX 10 on Tuesday, influencing the expansion plans of airlines such as Delta and United.

The Zhichong Finance APP has learned, according to sources familiar with the matter, that U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, is expected to announce on Tuesday during his visit to Washington State that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the Boeing 737 MAX 10 model.

Duffy will appear at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington on Tuesday to promote the FAA's certification of this long-delayed, larger model of Boeing's best-selling aircraft. In July this year, Boeing opened a new production line at its Everett factory to expand the production capacity of the 737 MAX, which is also assembled at the Renton factory.

Boeing referred relevant issues to the FAA, and the FAA did not comment immediately. Last Friday, the FAA convened a Type Certification Board review meeting. The board consists of FAA management members and represents the final step before the FAA makes a certification decision.

Airlines have ordered nearly 1,500 MAX 10 jets, which account for about 30% of Boeing's undelivered 737 orders. Boeing has already built a small number of MAX 10s, awaiting delivery.

This larger model, which can carry more passengers, is crucial to the growth plans of several airlines. The main customers of the MAX 10 include United Airlines (UAL.US), Alaska Airlines (ALK.US), Ryanair (RYAAY.US), Delta Air Lines (DAL.US), and American Airlines (AAL.US).

Since two fatal MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, Boeing has faced a more stringent certification process. After an incident in January 2024 in which a nearly new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 experienced an in-flight door panel blowout, the company’s production and quality systems have also come under scrutiny.

Last week, Duffy met in Georgia with chief executives from major aerospace companies including Boeing, RTX, Honeywell, GE Aerospace, Textron, and Gulfstream to discuss ways to improve the certification process.

After more than eight years of review, the FAA finally approved the smaller 737 MAX 7 model in August this year. Before the delays, Boeing had initially planned to start delivering the MAX 10 in 2020.

An issue with the 737 MAX engine anti-icing system identified in 2023 further delayed certification for both the MAX 7 and MAX 10.

At the end of September, Boeing disclosed a fault in the latest update to the 737 MAX navigation software, which temporarily threatened further delays to certification. However, the FAA determined that the issue did not pose a safety concern and did not require Boeing to address it as a condition for certification.

Boeing is still moving forward with the certification work for its largest passenger jet in production, the 777-9, which has already been delayed by six years compared to the original schedule. The company stated that certification is expected to be completed and deliveries to begin in 2027.