FAA will allow Boeing to resume certifying its planes are airworthy after years of safety efforts

The FAA said it will allow Boeing to resume certifying its own 737 MAX and 787 aircraft as airworthy starting next week. The decision comes after months of FAA review concluding that Boeing’s final safety checks are sufficient to ensure airworthiness. Since September, Boeing and FAA inspectors have been alternating weekly responsibility for required safety checks before deliveries and clearance to fly, with both parties issuing similar findings when airworthiness certificates were granted. The FAA took full control of 737 MAX approvals in 2019 after two crashes tied to a software system Boeing developed. For 787 Dreamliners, the FAA ended Boeing’s self-certification right in 2022 over ongoing production quality concerns. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said government inspectors will continue oversight while focusing earlier on potential defects in manufacturing.