The Boeing 737 Max 10 will take longer to clear U.S. regulatory hurdles after the Federal Aviation Administration said a software problem requires further review to determine whether it presents a safety risk.
Boeing had told investors earlier this month it expected approval on the long-delayed jet “very soon,” according to CEO Kelly Ortberg. On Saturday, the company disclosed it had identified a software glitch on some 737 Max aircraft that could affect certain landing procedures.
“We haven’t concluded whether this is a safety-of-flight issue or not, but we will be delaying the 10 until we’re satisfied that we don’t have an issue here,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Monday at a press conference on air traffic modernization in Washington, D.C.
The agency said in a statement that safety will dictate the certification timeline. It added that it is following its review process to investigate the software glitch and will not hesitate to act if needed.
Following Bedford’s remarks, Boeing shares widened losses and were down nearly 7% Monday as investors weighed another setback for the program.
“We continue to follow the lead of the FAA as we work through the certification process,” Boeing said in a statement.
Focus on Boeing 737 Max 10 software behavior
Boeing said over the weekend the issue could arise in the vertical navigation system during a missed approach that requires a go-around and another attempt to land, such as when a runway obstruction forces a second approach. The company and Bedford said pilots are trained for those scenarios.
“The pilots remain in control of the airliner and train for these scenarios,” Bedford said, adding that the current review is examining pilot workload in such events.
The FAA certified the Max 7, the smallest variant in the family, last month. Those aircraft carry the most updated version of the software now under evaluation. It is not yet clear how the assessment will affect deliveries to customers such as Southwest Airlines.
U.S. carriers said they do not have Max aircraft with the issue, in part because they can revert to older software on those models if needed, rather than the newer version linked to the potential problem.
Bedford said Boeing previously corrected one bug in the system but unexpectedly introduced another.
Context from Boeing’s broader Max program
Boeing has been working to move beyond a series of safety crises, including two fatal Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 in which a flight control system played a role. Bedford said the current software concern is different and does not remove control from pilots.
The company originally aimed to begin Max 10 deliveries in 2020, but safety concerns and other delays pushed back the schedule. The Max 10 is the final member of the Max family awaiting certification.