FAA hands Boeing back certificate power for 737 Max and 787 jets
The regulator says Boeing may again issue airworthiness certificates for 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft after years of tighter federal control.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
2 min read
Boeing has won back a key piece of authority from U.S. aviation regulators: the ability to issue airworthiness certificates for its 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that the manufacturer can again sign off on the certificates, which are required before new planes are delivered to airline customers. The move applies to Boeing’s top-selling 737 Max line and its 787 Dreamliner jets.
The power had been taken away from Boeing after two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019. Those disasters triggered years of scrutiny over the aircraft, Boeing’s production systems and the FAA’s oversight of the company.
The FAA had already begun easing the restrictions last September. At that point, the agency said Boeing could issue some certificates for certain Max and Dreamliner aircraft, with Boeing and the FAA alternating weeks on the work.
On Friday, the FAA said the trial period produced results strong enough for the regulator to return the responsibility to Boeing.
“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 agency said Friday. “Based on these results, the FAA determined it can safely return this responsibility to Boeing.”
A regulatory nod after years of pressure
The decision is a notable sign of confidence from the U.S. government for Boeing, one of the country’s largest exporters by value.
The company has spent years dealing with safety and quality concerns tied to its commercial aircraft programs. The 737 Max was grounded worldwide after the 2018 and 2019 crashes. More recently, Boeing faced another major safety scare in January 2024, when a door plug blew off a new 737 Max 9 shortly after takeoff.
The FAA’s decision does not erase that history, but it gives Boeing more control over the final paperwork needed to deliver some of its most important aircraft. The 737 Max is central to Boeing’s commercial jet business, while the 787 Dreamliner is one of its flagship wide-body planes.
Airworthiness certificates are a routine but essential step before aircraft can be handed over to customers. By restoring Boeing’s authority, the FAA is allowing the company to handle that signoff again rather than relying on the regulator to do it directly for those planes.
Boeing did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
The FAA said its decision was based on the production quality findings it observed during the eight-month period when both Boeing and the agency were issuing certificates on alternating weeks.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.