Boeing has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for its 737 Max 10 model, marking a significant milestone nearly a decade after the aircraft was first introduced. The certification clears the way for the company to begin production and sell the larger narrow-body jet to domestic and international airlines.

The FAA’s decision follows extensive safety evaluations and thousands of hours of test flights, reflecting a thorough review process. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the approval as a notable achievement for American manufacturing during a visit to Boeing’s Everett, Washington, facility on Tuesday. “To think that it took us almost 10 years to get here,” Duffy said, referring to the lengthy development and regulatory process.

The 737 Max 10 is Boeing’s largest variant in the Max series, designed to compete directly with Airbus’s narrow-body aircraft. With a typical seating capacity ranging from 185 to 210 passengers, the Max 10 surpasses the smaller Max 9 and Max 8 models, which seat between 175-195 and 160-180 passengers respectively. Airlines are expected to use the aircraft to increase capacity on popular routes, potentially reducing costs per seat, though the eventual impact on ticket prices will depend on airline deployment strategies and market competition.

Introduced at the Paris Air Show in 2017, the Max 10’s development was hampered by several technical and regulatory challenges. These delays were intensified by the fallout from two fatal crashes involving the smaller Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019, which resulted in 346 casualties and prompted global scrutiny of Boeing’s design and certification processes.

Boeing plans to begin delivering the 737 Max 10 to customers in 2027, aiming to strengthen its position in the competitive single-aisle market while working to restore its reputation after years of safety and production difficulties.