Software error further delays approval of the Boeing 737 Max 10

Boeing was hoping to soon receive approval for the largest variant of the important 737 Max model. But a new software error is disrupting the schedule again.

Recently, Boeing seemed to have gotten the quality problems with the 737 Max under control. (Archive image) Photo: Ted S. Warren/AP/dpa

Seattle. The new software bug in Boeing's 737 Max is further delaying approval of the largest model variant of the widely used aircraft. The US aviation regulator FAA only wants to decide on the certification of the 737 Max 10 after an assessment of the newly discovered problem, head of the authority Bryan Bedford told journalists, as the financial service Bloomberg reported.

According to previous media reports, the approval of the 737 Max 10, which has already been delayed for years, was expected in the coming weeks. Boeing has more than 1,500 orders for the plane with up to 230 seats - making it very important for the US company in competition with its European arch-rival Airbus.

Problems after an aborted landing attempt

According to Boeing, the problem on some 737 Max aircraft can mean that automated vertical navigation is initially not available on further attempts after an aborted landing attempt. Instead, pilots could only access a lower level of automation.

Boeing emphasized that pilots are trained to land aircraft without automation - and that the system can be reactivated in a series of steps. We are working on permanently solving the problem with a software update. It is currently unclear how many of the more than 2,000 737 Max aircraft delivered have the error.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Boeing was first alerted to the error in November 2024 by the operator of the 737 Max. The error was caused by a software update, the newspaper wrote.

Aircraft type with a history

The 737 Max is the model that brought the company into its worst crisis, the consequences of which Boeing is still struggling with. Two fatal crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 killed 346 people.

The central trigger was assistance software that was supposed to support the pilots, but under certain circumstances interfered too much with the controls. When the 737 Max was certified by US authorities, employees of the aircraft manufacturer declared that special training for the software was unnecessary. Boeing had to suspend production of the 737 Max - it is still reduced.

The 737 Max was often referred to as a troubled aircraft after further problems. An incident in January 2024 in which a part of the fuselage of an almost new 737 aircraft broke off during climb caused new doubts about Boeing's quality management.

Published according to the editorial standards of the Handelsblatt. You can find more information in our guidelines.