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

The FAA said Boeing will be allowed to resume responsibility for certifying all of its 737 MAX and 787 planes starting next week. The agency stated that after months of review, Boeing’s final safety checks are now considered sufficient to ensure the aircraft are airworthy. Since September, Boeing and FAA inspectors have alternated weekly in performing the required safety checks before planes are cleared for delivery and declared safe to fly. The FAA said both Boeing and government inspectors were issuing similar findings when airworthiness certificates were granted. Regulators took full control of 737 MAX approvals in 2019 after two crashes later attributed to a Boeing-developed software system. The FAA ended Boeing’s right to self-certify 787 Dreamliners in 2022 due to ongoing production quality issues. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said inspectors will continue overseeing factories while shifting attention earlier in manufacturing to identify defects. Boeing did not respond immediately.