The Federal Aviation Administration has delayed certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 passenger jet after discovering a navigation software anomaly that increases crew workload during critical flight maneuvers.
Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, announced on September 28, 2026, that regulators will halt approval of the largest variant in the MAX family until agency officials are fully satisfied that no safety defects remain.
Bedford did not indicate whether the latest certification pause would last for days, weeks, or months. The decision presents a major operational setback for American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which had aimed to deliver the 210-seat airliner to commercial customers by the end of the year.
Software Anomaly Disengages Vertical Navigation
The technical issue specifically affects versions 14 and 14.1 of the software powering the aircraft's flight management computer. Federal regulators identified the bug during a specific flight procedure involving an interrupted autopilot approach followed by a go-around maneuver and an altered flight trajectory.
In commercial aviation, a go-around is a standard safety procedure executed when pilots abort a landing approach due to adverse weather, runway obstructions, or flight path adjustments. During a go-around, the crew applies engine thrust to climb away from the airfield and re-enter the flight pattern.
Airliners rely on flight management computers to automate complex navigation tasks. Within those systems, vertical navigation, known as VNAV, manages the altitude profile of the aircraft, guiding its ascent, cruise, and descent along pre-programmed vertical angles.
Under the conditions identified by regulators, interrupting an automated approach and modifying the programmed path causes the VNAV mode on the 737 MAX 10 to disengage automatically. The aircraft then reverts to a less sophisticated automatic pitch control mode, requiring additional manual inputs from the flight crew.
Pitch angle refers to the orientation of an aircraft's longitudinal axis relative to the horizon, indicating whether the nose points upward or downward. When automated vertical guidance drops off, pilots must manually manage pitch attitude to maintain a safe climb profile.
Although the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that pilots maintain control of the aircraft when the software disengages, regulators expressed concern that the unexpected increase in cockpit workload during a demanding phase of flight could compromise flight safety.
FAA Review and Extensive Program Delays
The Federal Aviation Administration is the primary civil aviation authority in the United States, responsible for regulating commercial air travel, enforcing safety standards, and certifying new aircraft models before they can enter airline service. The agency plans to assess the software issue next week during a meeting of its corrective action review board, a specialized technical panel that evaluates proposed engineering fixes.
The certification delay extends a long history of postponed timelines for the 737 MAX 10. Boeing originally projected that the airliner would enter commercial service in 2023, just two years after its inaugural test flight in 2021. With the latest regulatory hold, industry expectations indicate the model is unlikely to enter service before 2027.
Boeing, based in the United States with major commercial aircraft production operations near Seattle, Washington, designed the 737 MAX family as its flagship single-aisle jetliner series. The MAX 10 is the largest variant in the 737 family, designed with an extended fuselage to carry up to 210 passengers on short and medium-haul routes.
Delays have affected several aircraft across the MAX development program. The smallest model in the lineup, the 737 MAX 7, required eight years following its initial test flight before Boeing received FAA approval to allow the jet to enter commercial service.
