FAA Restores Boeing Authority to Certify 737 Max and 787 Jets

The agency’s decision marks a significant milestone for the aerospace giant, which had been stripped of these self-certification privileges in the wake of the 2018 and 2019 disasters. For the past eight months, the FAA had required an alternating system where Boeing and federal inspectors shared the responsibility of signing off on production quality. According to the regulator, recent audits showed no disparity in quality findings between the two parties, justifying the return of full authority to the company.

This move serves as a critical vote of confidence from the U.S. government, particularly as Boeing struggles to recover from a series of safety lapses. The most recent incident occurred in January 2024, when a door plug detached from a 737 Max 9 during flight, triggering a widespread investigation into the company's assembly processes. While the restoration of certification powers signals a shift toward normalcy for the manufacturer, it places the burden of ensuring production integrity back squarely on Boeing’s internal oversight teams.