FAA clears the way for airlines to put Boeing’s long-delayed 737 Max 10 into service

Nearly a decade after Boeing unveiled its largest 737 Max jet, the company has cleared a major hurdle in its effort to bring the plane to airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the Max 10 for passenger service Tuesday, ending years of delays.

The 737 Max 10’s certification represents another milestone in Boeing’s efforts to restore its reputation and financial footing after years of safety, quality and production challenges. With production approved, the aircraft can now be sold to domestic and foreign carriers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the certification followed “extensive safety reviews,” including thousands of hours of test flights, and called it a major win for American manufacturing.

“To think that it took us almost 10 years to get here. We all probably had a little less gray hair 10 years ago,” Duffy said during a visit Tuesday to Boeing’s manufacturing plant in Everett, Washington.

The Max 10 is an important piece of the company’s effort to regain ground in the narrow-body market. For airlines, the larger plane offers a way to carry more passengers on a single flight, potentially lowering costs per seat. For travelers, it could eventually mean more seats on popular routes, though the impact…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business