A flight management software problem has put Boeing's timeline for certifying the last two 737 Max variants back in question, with the FAA reviewing an issue that could increase pilot workload during a missed landing approach.

The glitch surfaced nearly two years ago, according to The Air Current, but it is now drawing renewed attention from both U.S. regulators and airline customers. The timing compounds pressure on a certification campaign that has already slipped by years.

Boeing is working to bring the 737 Max 10 and the smaller Max 7 into commercial service — the final two members of the re-engined narrowbody family. Both aircraft have spent far longer in development than the company originally planned, and the new software question lands on top of an already stretched schedule.

The technical issue

At the center of the review is behavior in the flight management system tied to a go-around — the procedure pilots fly when they abandon a landing approach. According to the report, the software issue "may add to pilots' workload as they grapple with a missed landing approach."

That matters for certification. Go-arounds are high-workload maneuvers flown close to the ground, and regulators scrutinize anything that adds to crew task burden during them. The FAA is now weighing the issue as part of its review of the Max 10 program.

The glitch first emerged close to two years ago, meaning Boeing has known about it for some time. The fresh regulatory scrutiny suggests the company and the FAA have not yet closed the question to the regulator's satisfaction.

Why the timing hurts

The Max 10 sits at the back of a certification queue that Boeing once expected to clear far sooner. Each additional review cycle pushes entry into service further out for an aircraft that carriers have already waited years to receive.

Airline customers are watching closely. The Max 10 is the largest variant of the family and a direct competitor in the heart of the single-aisle market, where seat capacity per aircraft carries direct network and cost consequences for operators. A further slip would force airlines that hold Max 10 orders to keep flying smaller aircraft — or look elsewhere — for longer.

The scrutiny also arrives at a sensitive moment for Boeing more broadly, as the manufacturer works to restore regulator confidence and stabilize delivery performance across its programs. Any new certification question on the Max family touches the same sensitive nerve.

What is flying and what is not

Boeing's stated certification targets for the Max 10 and Max 7 should be read against the program's track record of missed deadlines rather than taken at face value. The four smaller Max variants — the Max 8, Max 8-200, Max 9 and Max 200 — are certified and in airline service. The Max 7 and Max 10 are not.

The flight management software issue is the latest item standing between the Max 10 and its airworthiness certificate. How the FAA resolves it — and how quickly Boeing can demonstrate the fix — will shape whether the largest Max enters service on anything close to Boeing's current schedule.