FAA returns to Boeing full authority to issue airworthiness certificates¶
Move reflects confidence by the US regulator in Boeing’s 737 Max and 787 quality and processes.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has returned to Boeing authority to issue airworthiness certificates for 737 Max and 787 aircraft, after having revoked that authority amid quality and safety concerns several years ago.
Disclosed by the FAA on 17 July, the move marks another step by Boeing toward recovery and comes as the company ramps production and opens a new 737 Max production line.
“The FAA will allow Boeing to resume issuing airworthiness certificates at the end of the production process for all 737 Max and 787 airplanes,” the FAA says. “The decision follows months of thorough data and safety review demonstrating consistent production quality.”
Boeing will have authority to issue all the certificates, which are aircraft-specific documents granting authority for aircraft to be flown, on 20 July.
The US regulator had stripped Boeing’s authority to grant 737 Max airworthiness certificates in 2019 when that aircraft type was grounded and amid criticism about Boeing’s work related to the Max’s type certificate.
In February 2022, the FAA likewise prohibited Boeing from issuing 787 airworthiness certificates, a response to production quality concerns.
The FAA had already, in September 2025, returned to Boeing authority to issue some airworthiness certificates; since then, the regulator and Boeing have taken turns, with the company holding authority to issue them one week and the FAA issuing them the next.
“During the past eight months, the FAA has seen comparable production quality findings when Boeing issued airworthiness certificates and when the FAA issued them,” the regulator now says. “Based on these results, the FAA determined it can safely return this responsibility to Boeing. The FAA will continue inspections, audits and monitoring of Boeing’s production system.”
The FAA grants Boeing and other manufacturers authority to issue airworthiness certifications and to perform other self-certification work, including work related to aircraft-type certifications, under companies’ FAA-approved Organisation Designation Authorisations (ODA).
The agency last May renewed Boeing’s ODA for three years.Subscribe to gain access to all newsAlready have a subscription?Log in.Choose your subscriptionConsidering a corporate subscription?Contact usto find out more.
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- Tags:
- Aerospace
- Aircraft programmes
- Airframers
- North America
- United States