The Federal Aviation Administration will allow Boeing to issue airworthiness certificates for 737 MAX and 787 airplanes starting next week, a significant milestone following production quality reviews. The FAA will continue rigorous oversight.
This decision allows Boeing to increase production of its key aircraft models, potentially easing supply chain constraints and boosting the company's financial performance. It signifies a return to a more normalized regulatory relationship between the FAA and Boeing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it will permit Boeing to issue airworthiness certificates for all 737 MAX and 787 airplanes starting next week. This decision marks a significant milestone for the U.S. planemaker as it aims to increase production.
The FAA stated the move follows months of thorough data and safety reviews that demonstrated consistent production quality, reflecting the agency's confidence in Boeing's ability to issue certificates under FAA oversight. The agency will continue inspections, audits, and monitoring of Boeing's production system.
Historically, the FAA revoked Boeing's authority to approve individual MAX planes in 2019 after a second fatal crash and for the 787 in 2022 due to production quality issues. In September, the FAA had allowed Boeing to resume issuing certificates on alternating weeks.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford indicated that the agency has observed comparable production quality findings when Boeing issued certificates versus when the FAA issued them. He also noted that Boeing is 'doing much better' and that the FAA's goal is to be more collaborative in the decision-making process without softening regulatory requirements.
The decision comes as Boeing seeks to ramp up 737 MAX production, with the FAA having previously raised the monthly production cap. Bedford also expects the 737 MAX 7 to be certified this summer and the MAX 10 by year-end.
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