Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17
FAA Restores Boeing's 737 Max and 787 Certification Authority After 8-Month Review
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17

FAA Restores Boeing's 737 Max and 787 Certification Authority After 8-Month Review

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17

Summary

  • Friday's FAA decision lets Boeing again issue airworthiness certificates for all 737 Max jets and 787 Dreamliners before delivery, fully restoring a power the agency had taken over.
  • Eight months of alternating certification work showed comparable production-quality findings whether Boeing or the FAA signed off, leading the regulator to say it could safely return the responsibility.
  • The FAA had only partially eased the restriction in September, allowing Boeing to certify some Max and Dreamliner deliveries on alternating weeks while the agency handled the rest.
  • The move marks a regulatory vote of confidence after years of safety turmoil tied to the 2018 and 2019 fatal 737 Max crashes and the January 2024 737 Max 9 door-plug blowout.

Insights

Boeing is back to certifying its own jets. Has its broken safety culture truly been fixed?
With production still capped and new jets delayed to 2027, what does this reinstated authority actually solve for Boeing?