The Federal Aviation Administration has informed Congress that it will restore Boeing’s ability to self-certify airworthiness for all 737 MAX and 787 aircraft, with the change set to take effect as early as next week.
The decision represents a significant step forward for the American aircraft manufacturer as it works to scale up production of both aircraft lines.
In an email reviewed by Reuters, the FAA said the move “follows months of thorough data and safety review demonstrating consistent production quality and reflects the FAA’s confidence in Boeing’s ability to issue airworthiness certificates under FAA oversight.”
The FAA had originally stripped Boeing of its authority to approve individual MAX aircraft back in 2019, following a deadly crash in Ethiopia — the second fatal MAX accident in a short span of time. Boeing’s ability to self-certify its 787 aircraft was similarly revoked in 2022, citing problems with production quality.
Boeing had not issued a public response to the announcement at the time of this report.
