Beginning next week, Boeing will once again be permitted to take charge of certifying that its 737 Max and 787 aircraft meet airworthiness standards, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday.
Following an extensive review spanning several months, the FAA concluded that Boeing’s own final safety inspections are thorough enough to confirm its planes are safe to fly. Since September, Boeing and federal inspectors had been alternating weekly in conducting the required safety checks before aircraft could be cleared for delivery. The FAA noted that both parties had been arriving at similar conclusions when issuing airworthiness certificates.
The FAA first stripped Boeing of its authority to self-certify 737 Max jets back in 2019, in the aftermath of two deadly crashes that investigators later attributed to a new software system Boeing had developed for the plane. Then in 2022, the agency also revoked Boeing’s self-certification rights for its 787 Dreamliner, pointing to persistent problems with production quality.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford emphasized that safety remains the top priority. “Safety drives everything we do, and this step forward is only possible because we are confident it can be done safely,” Bedford said.
While Boeing resumes its certification responsibilities, federal inspectors will not be stepping away entirely. Bedford said government oversight of Boeing’s manufacturing facilities will continue, with inspectors now able to direct more of their attention toward identifying and resolving potential defects earlier in the production process.
Boeing had not issued a response to the FAA’s announcement at the time of this report.
Separately, the FAA has also been gradually relaxing production caps it placed on Boeing’s 737 Max line after a fuselage panel detached from one of those jets — operated by Alaska Airlines — while the aircraft was in flight in January 2024. That monthly production ceiling has been raised incrementally from 38 planes to 47 planes this past summer.
