The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that a software glitch in some Boeing 737 MAX flight computers is not a safety concern, removing a late hurdle to certification of the 737 MAX 10.
A Corrective Action Review Board of FAA safety experts reached the finding on Oct. 2, 2026, at a meeting in Seattle, according to Reuters. That was four days after FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would hold the 737 MAX 10 until it was satisfied the issue was not a problem.
The decision does not certify the aircraft. Aviation officials believe the 737 MAX 10 could be approved as soon as later this month, Reuters reported, but the FAA and Boeing did not say when certification would resume, according to AFP.
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What the FAA Decided
The FAA said the board concluded that pilots retain full control of the aircraft and that the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous. The panel included FAA experts on airframes, flight controls, propulsion and flight testing, CNBC reported.
The agency said one software version can increase pilot workload during a go-around, when a crew aborts a landing, applies power and climbs to try again, Reuters reported.
An FAA official told Reuters that Boeing will issue a bulletin to airlines on how to recognize and respond to the situation, and that the FAA will issue a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin to U.S. airlines and foreign regulators so they are aware of it. Boeing said it is working with airlines to formalize a procedure that lets pilots restore automated flight guidance if the glitch occurs, AFP reported.
What the Software Issue Does
The problem involves automated vertical navigation. Under a specific sequence of events, changing the programmed flight path after a go-around can make an automated navigation function unavailable, which raises pilot workload at a critical point in the flight, AvWeb reported.
Bedford has said the condition is unrelated to the flight-control system involved in the two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, Air Data News reported. CNBC reported that he also said, unlike that system, this glitch does not take control away from pilots.
WestJet pilots first spotted the anomaly in 2024 during a validation flight before a MAX entered service, Air Data News reported. Boeing told 737 operators about the issue in August and is developing a permanent fix, AvWeb reported. Bedford said GE Aerospace supplies the software and could speed up a correction, though he could not say whether it would take days, weeks or months, AeroTime reported, citing Reuters.
According to CNBC, Bedford also said an earlier bug had been corrected by Boeing, but that the fix introduced the new one.
What It Means for the MAX 7 and Airlines
The FAA certified the 737 MAX 7 on Aug. 3, Air Data News reported. The smaller jet uses the same software, so the ruling should ease concerns at airlines that fly it, Reuters reported. Air Data News reported that the MAX 7 was certified with software version 14, while the MAX 10 used version 14.1 during its certification flight testing.
Major U.S. airlines opted not to use the affected software version while the analysis was underway, Reuters reported. Southwest and United asked Boeing to defer deliveries of aircraft with that version, AvWeb reported.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which have ordered the MAX 10, could have been hit by a lengthy delay, Reuters reported. Jefferies estimates Boeing has nearly 1,500 MAX 10s on order and said the decision allows certification before the end of the year.
Where 737 MAX 10 Certification Stands
The 737 MAX 10 is the largest member of the 737 MAX family and the last of the four models to await certification, AFP reported. On Sept. 28, Bedford said the FAA would delay the 737 MAX 10 until it was satisfied there was no issue, Reuters reported.
The Oct. 2 finding addresses the software question that prompted that hold. Neither the FAA nor Boeing has said whether the process will now resume on a set schedule, AFP reported.
Timing estimates differ. Aviation officials told Reuters certification could come as soon as later this month, while Jefferies expects it before the end of the year.
FAQ: 737 MAX 10 Software Ruling
What did the FAA decide about the 737 MAX software glitch?
A Corrective Action Review Board of FAA experts found on Oct. 2 that the issue is not a safety concern because pilots retain full control and the cockpit indications are clear.
Is the glitch related to MCAS?
No. Bedford said the condition is unrelated to the system involved in the 2018 and 2019 crashes, and that it does not take control away from pilots.
When will the 737 MAX 10 be certified?
No date has been announced. Aviation officials told Reuters certification could come as soon as later this month, and Jefferies expects it before the end of the year.
Looking Ahead
Three things to watch: Boeing’s bulletin to airlines and the FAA’s companion bulletin, a schedule for the permanent software correction from Boeing and GE Aerospace, and any FAA announcement on the 737 MAX 10 certification itself. Boeing reports third-quarter results on Oct. 27.
Sources
- Reuters, via The Economic Times — US FAA says Boeing 737 MAX software glitch poses no safety issue
- CNBC — FAA says Boeing 737 Max software glitch not a flight-safety issue
- AFP, via TechXplore — US regulator finds Boeing 737 MAX software bug not a safety concern
- Air Data News — FAA clears 737 MAX software glitch, removing hurdle for MAX 10 certification
- Air Data News — FAA delays Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification over software issue
- AVweb — FAA Delays 737 MAX 10 Certification Over Software Issue
- Yahoo Finance, citing CNBC — FAA delays Boeing 737 Max 10 certification over software glitch
- AeroTime — FAA delays Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification over software
- Boeing — News releases (third-quarter results date)
