FAA Restores Boeing's Authority to Self-Issue Airworthiness Certificates for 737MAX and 787
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will once again let Boeing mark its own homework after it told the Chicago-headquartered aircraft manufacturer that it is free to issue its own airworthiness certificates for all newly manufactured 737MAX jets and 787 Dreamliners. Boeing has been banned from issuing airworthiness certificates for newly built planes following two fatal crashes of Boeing 737MAX jets. The first belonging to Lion Air, which crashed in October 2018, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board, and the second belonging to Ethiopian Airlines, which crashed in February 2019, with the loss of all 157 passengers and crew. In the aftermath of these crashes, the FAA initially grounded all Boeing 737MAX jets around the world, but even after the planes were allowed to return to the skies some 20 months later, the FAA didn’t reinstate Boeing’s authorization to issue airworthiness certificates for newly built 737MAX jets. Then, in 2022, the FAA also pulled Boeing’s authorization to issue certificates for 787 Dreamliners after serious production quality control issues were made public by insider whistleblowers. But after months of “thorough data and safety review” by FAA inspectors, the agency has decided to reinstate Boeing’s authority to issue its own airworthiness certificates for all new aircraft. The decision comes around 10 months after Boeing was given permission to issue its own airworthiness certificates for specific 737MAX and 787 Dreamliner models. Boeing will be allowed to issue airworthiness certificates under the FAA’s Organization Designation Authorization program, which essentially delegates responsibility for issuing these certificates from federal inspectors to trusted companies. Until now, Boeing wasn’t considered worthy of having ODA authority. "Safety drives everything we do, and this step forward is only possible because we are confident it can be done safely," commented FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Friday. "Our inspectors will continue rigorous oversight of Boeing's production while focusing more of their time where it has the greatest impact—identifying and addressing potential risks earlier in the manufacturing process."