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The Boeing 737 MAX 10 is set to be the most stretched and highest passenger capacity MAX aircraft ever made, although with a shorter range than its other MAX counterparts. Its speed will be typical for its family and class, hovering around Mach 0.79, sometimes a bit slower. Boeing has built to offer a partial A321neo competitor on shorter routes, mostly with its established customers.
As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hasn’t yet granted the type certificate, the aircraft is not yet in service. The typical cruise speeds discussed below are assumed based on how other aircraft in its class are flown and its maximum operating Mach number (MMO). Here is what to know about how fast the Boeing 737 MAX 10 will fly and why its ground speed can be considerably higher.
Boeing’s A321neo Challenger
The upcoming Boeing 737 MAX 10 will be the longest Boeing 737 made and will fill a niche no other 737 variant has filled; the closest analogue is the Boeing 737-900ER. The MAX series has four variants: MAX 7, MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10. The MAX 7 replaces the Boeing 737-700, the MAX 8 replaces the 737-800, and the MAX 9 replaces the 737-900ER. The diminutive and unpopular 737-600 Next Generation is not being replaced.
The MAX 10 will provide an extra-stretched variant and improve the series’ ability to compete with the more popular Airbus A320neo series. Specifically, the MAX 10 is to compete with the A321neo. The MAX will have a typical two-class seating capacity of 188 to 204 seats with a maximum capacity of 230, or ten more than the MAX 9’s 220-seat capacity.
For comparison, the A321neo has a max seating capacity of 244 seats, including 180 to 220 in a typical two-class configuration. Airbus A320neos have slightly lower optimal cruises than the MAX (around Mach 0.78). However, in the real world, the typical Mach 0.76 to 0.78 closely aligns with the MAX due to shared market demands.
The MAX 10’s Speed Is Typical
The MAX 10 will have a maximum operating Mach number (MMO) of around Mach 0.82, which is around the same as the other MAX variants. Mach 0.82 is the upper limit before overspeed warning or structural stress limits start to factor in. Its typical cruise speed is Mach 0.79, which is also more or less the same as the other 737 variants. Mach 0.82 translates to around 541 knots (623 mph or 1,003 km/h), while its more typical Mach 0.79 is around 453 knots (521 mph or 839 km/h).
In the real world, actual speeds may vary slightly due to a range of factors like cost index that balances fuel burn and time, wind, payload, and route length. These types of aircraft typically cruise between Mach 0.76 and 0.80, with 0.79 being something of a sweet spot. This is pretty much typical of all narrowbody aircraft. Widebody aircraft typically fly a bit faster at around Mach 0.85, with some variation depending on relevant factors.
This is slightly more than the earlier 737 variants. The Boeing 737 Original and Boeing 737 Classic had optimal cruise speeds of around Mach 0.745, while the Boeing 737 Next Generation increased that to around Mach 0.785 to Mach 0.789. The LEAP engines and refinements of the MAX over the NG allow for a marginal gain of around 0.04 Mach.
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Airspeed Is Not Groundspeed
It should be noted that True Airspeed (TAS) is not the same as ground speed. Mach is a number representing the speed of an object relative to the speed of sound in its surrounding medium. It is a unitless measure of speed that represents an object’s speed relative to the local speed of sound, rather than a fixed velocity. So it doesn’t necessarily measure how fast an aircraft is flying between two points.
That is better reflected by the aircraft’s ground speed, as it is airspeed minus the effect of wind on the aircraft. As aircraft cruise at over 30,000 feet, they often fly inside or near jet streams. Typical wind speeds are 80 to 150 knots, with strong jet streaks being 150–200 knots and extreme examples being over 200 knots. Aircraft with a tailwind will have a higher ground speed, relative to the airspeed, and those with a headwind will have a lower ground speed.
|
Boeing 737 MAX family (per Boeing) |
Typical seating |
Max seating |
Range (nautical miles) |
Typical cruise Mach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Boeing 737 MAX 7 |
138-153 |
172 |
3,800 |
Mach 0.79 |
|
Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
162-178 |
210 (MAX 8-200) |
3,500 |
Mach 0.79 |
|
Boeing 737 MAX 9 |
178-193 |
220 |
3,300 |
Mach 0.79 |
|
Boeing 737 MAX 10 |
188-204 |
230 |
3,100 |
Mach 0.79 |
Aircraft riding a jetstream can have a ground speed up to 50–60% higher than airspeed in extreme tailwind scenarios. For a narrowbody like the MAX 10, it will be somewhat common to have a ground speed of 590 knots when conditions are right. While this is a factor for the MAX 10, just like all commercial aircraft, it’s a bigger factor for widebody commercial jets flying long-haul routes. Jetstreams are why eastbound North Atlantic flights are often 30-60 minutes early, while westbound flights can take 1-2 hours longer on the same city pair.
Competes On Range And Capability
To a large extent, the only Western commercial aircraft to ever enter service after the Mach 0.78-0.85 transonic cruise standard was set to compete on speed was the supersonic Concorde. The MAX 10, like all other modern tube-and-wing commercial passenger jets, is not designed for enhanced speed. It is designed for increased fuel efficiency while also adding greater capacity.
The MAX 10 is the shortest-range variant of the narrowbody aircraft on the market (including the A220). This means it cannot serve a large fraction of the routes that the A321neo is able to. The A321neo’s impressive range allows it to fill the mid-sized airplane market left vacant by the termination of the Boeing 757.
The MAX 10 is better optimized for routes under 2,500 or 3,000 nautical miles, with it having a marginally lower cost per seat on these routes. Another big factor is fleet commonality and pilot training, which is the inertia the MAX enjoys from the popularity of the 737 family for decades. The MAX 10 is particularly suited to dense domestic operations such as those in the United States, China, and Europe (counting European Union+UK flights as ‘domestic’).
This Is How Powerful The Boeing 737 MAX Is
Like most A320neos, the MAX is powered by the CFM International LEAP engines and enjoys high flying sales.
The MAX’s Decreasing Range
Perhaps one of the most striking differences between ranges of the A320 family and the Boeing 737 family is that they are inversely correlated. As the Boeing MAX is stretched, its range drops off. The shortest aircraft, the MAX 7, has the longest range of 3,800 nautical miles; the longer MAX 8’s range falls to 3,500 nautical miles; the stretched MAX 9’s range is reduced to 3,300 nautical miles, and the MAX 10 only gets 3,100 nautical miles.
Meanwhile, the popular A319neo has a range of 3,700 to 3,750 nautical miles, the A320neo gets 3,400 to 3,500 nautical miles, and the A321neo has an impressive 3,700 to 4,000 nautical miles. The A321neo then flies further with the modified LR and XLR subvariants, maxing out at 4,700 nautical miles. The outlier is the A319neo. The A319neo carries almost the same amount of fuel as the A320neo, but is a lighter aircraft with less drag, allowing it to burn the fuel slower.
This is due to the respective aircraft’s wing size, landing gear geometry, and fuel volume growth. The A321neo gains fuel capacity and aerodynamic efficiency as it is stretched, while the 737 does not. The A320’s wing was designed from the start to support the A321’s weight and fuel. Its XLR variant is able to carry huge fuel loads without needing a wing redesign. While a longer fuselage volume on the A320 can be used for fuel tanks, the 737’s capacity for more fuel is constrained.
Over 1,200 MAX 10s Ordered
The MAX 10 is designed to take on the A321neo in some niches, but doesn’t try to beat it everywhere. Much of its advantage comes from airlines wanting to “stay with Boeing” and enjoy a smooth transition from older 737 jets to newer ones. The aircraft’s optimal cruise Mach is 0.79, but this is typical for the class. Speed is not really much of a design factor.
Boeing has secured over 1,200 firm orders for the MAX, including 150 firm orders and another 150 options from Ryanair. The airline with the biggest firm order is United at 165 aircraft, followed by Ryanair (150), American (115), Pegasus (100), Delta (100), Akasa Air (99), Alaska Airlines (51), Air India Express, and Lion Air (50). Notably, all of these airlines already operate Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, except for the all-MAX-8 startup Indian airline, Akasa Air.
In the wake of the MAX crisis following the twin crashes in 2018 and 2019, the FAA has exercised much more scrutiny over Boeing. At the time of the crashes, the MAX 8 and MAX 9 had their type certificates, and Boeing was working on the certificates for the MAX 7 and MAX 10. As of January 2026, the FAA has refused to grant the type certificate, meaning airlines have to wait for the aircraft for longer or convert their orders into other aircraft. The type certificate is expected in late 2026.
