After years of delays, the Boeing 737 MAX 10 received FAA type certification on October 20, 2026 — the green light for the largest version of Boeing's best-selling narrowbody to start carrying passengers. The certification campaign was no small feat: nearly 1,000 test flights and more than 2,000 flight hours went into getting the aircraft approved.

So who has actually ordered it? Boeing counts more than 30 customers and 1,555 orders for the MAX 10, and the biggest commitments tell you a lot about how your future flights might look. United Airlines leads the pack with 167 firm aircraft — fitting, since it was the launch customer back in 2017, converting 100 existing MAX orders to the bigger variant at the Paris Air Show. Ryanair follows with 150 firm orders (out of a 300-aircraft deal signed in May 2023), planning a dense 228-seat layout for European routes, with deliveries running from 2027 to 2033.

American Airlines sits third with 115 firm MAX 10s — a mix of 85 new orders and 30 upgraded from earlier MAX 8 commitments, plus options for 75 more. Alaska Airlines made its move in January 2026 with 105 MAX 10s as part of the largest order in its history, bundled with five 787 widebodies for its growing long-haul ambitions. Delta and Turkey's Pegasus Airlines tie on 100 firm aircraft each; Delta ordered at Farnborough in July 2022, while Pegasus signed in December 2024 with deliveries starting in 2028 and options that could double its total.

Why should passengers care? The MAX 10 seats between 185 and 210 in a typical two-class layout, with room for up to 230 in high-density configurations, and flies roughly 3,100 nautical miles. Airlines are buying it to replace older jets with something 20-30% more fuel-efficient — meaning newer cabins, quieter flights and more seats on busy domestic and short-haul routes without switching aircraft types. Ryanair explicitly tied its order to a goal of carrying 300 million passengers a year by 2034, so expect more capacity (and likely more low fares) on European routes as deliveries land from 2027.

One caveat worth knowing: these figures are firm orders only. Airlines hold large option pools — American could reach 190 MAX 10s, Pegasus 200, Ryanair 300 — but options aren't commitments, so the actual fleets you'll fly on may end up smaller. Still, with certification now in hand, the first passengers should be boarding MAX 10s sooner rather than later, with United's 167-jet queue first in line.

Story via Simple Flying.