FAA Not Hindering Boeing MAX 7 and 10 Certification, Says US Official

Reuters | January 21, 2026 at 08:22 PM UTC
Bullish 74% Confidence Majority Agreement
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Key Points

  • The FAA has devoted significant resources to help Boeing certify the smaller 737 MAX 7 and larger MAX 10 variants
  • Administrator Bedford clarified that Boeing is responsible for completing the necessary work and 'they're doing the work'
  • The FAA administrator explicitly stated 'I don't think FAA is the roadblock' on the certification of these two aircraft variants

AI Summary

Summary: FAA Not Hindering Boeing MAX 7 and 10 Certification

Key Development:

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated on January 21 that the Federal Aviation Administration is not the obstacle preventing Boeing from certifying its 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 aircraft variants. Bedford emphasized that while the FAA has allocated significant resources to support the certification process, Boeing must complete its required work independently.

Main Points:

  • The FAA has devoted substantial resources to assist Boeing with certification of the smaller MAX 7 and larger MAX 10 variants
  • Bedford clarified the FAA's role: "We can only help get them there, but they have got to do the work, and they're doing the work"
  • The statement shifts responsibility for certification delays to Boeing's execution rather than regulatory bottlenecks

Company Impact:

Boeing continues working toward certification of these two 737 MAX variants, which represent important product line extensions. The MAX 7 targets the smaller single-aisle market, while the MAX 10 competes in the larger narrow-body segment against Airbus alternatives.

Market Implications:

Bedford's comments suggest certification timelines depend primarily on Boeing's ability to meet technical and safety requirements rather than regulatory resistance. This clarification may help investors better assess certification risk and timeline expectations. The statement comes as Boeing works to expand its MAX family following the model's previous grounding and ongoing scrutiny of its safety and manufacturing processes.

The remarks were made during a speech in Washington, indicating continued high-level attention to Boeing's certification progress and the aviation industry's regulatory environment.

Model Analysis Breakdown

Model Sentiment Confidence
GPT-5-mini Bullish 75%
Claude 4.5 Haiku Bullish 68%
Gemini 2.5 Flash Neutral 80%
Consensus Bullish 74%