FAA Restores Boeing Authority to Certify New 737 MAX and 787 Jets

The Federal Aviation Administration has restored Boeing’s authority to issue final airworthiness certificates for all newly produced 737 MAX and 787 aircraft, a decision that took effect July 20, 2026.

The FAA announced the change July 17 after an eight-month review comparing certification findings made by Boeing with findings made by government inspectors. The agency said the results were comparable, supporting a return to Boeing’s delegated role in the final certification step.

What changed

Before a new commercial aircraft can be delivered for operation, it must receive an airworthiness certificate showing that it complies with approved design requirements and is in a condition for safe operation. The FAA’s decision allows Boeing to issue those certificates again for every newly produced 737 MAX and 787 under the agency’s Organization Designation Authorization framework.

That framework does not make Boeing the federal aviation regulator. Authorized organizations can perform certain certification functions on the FAA’s behalf, while the agency retains responsibility for oversight, standards, audits and enforcement.

Federal oversight continues

The FAA said its inspectors will continue reviewing Boeing’s production system, including critical assembly activities, production-quality trends and compliance with approved type designs and engineering requirements. The agency also plans to keep assessing Boeing’s safety-management system and safety culture.

The FAA’s ODA office oversees companies that issue certificates or conduct certain inspections for the agency. In practical terms, Boeing’s restored authority is a delegated responsibility subject to continuing federal review, not a withdrawal of government involvement.

Why the decision matters

The change could reduce a certification bottleneck at the end of Boeing’s production process. That may help Boeing complete deliveries and give airlines more certainty as they plan fleet additions, although the decision itself does not establish delivery totals or guarantee changes to airline schedules.

For passengers, the decision does not change boarding procedures or create a guarantee that every future aircraft will be free of defects. It does, however, place renewed attention on whether FAA monitoring identifies recurring manufacturing or compliance problems.

Why Boeing lost the authority

The FAA stopped allowing Boeing to issue airworthiness certificates for 737 MAX aircraft in 2019 after the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. The agency ended Boeing’s authority for 787 aircraft in 2022 because of production-quality concerns.

Oversight intensified again after a panel separated from an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 during a January 2024 flight. The FAA later imposed production limits on Boeing’s 737 MAX program while requiring improvements in manufacturing controls and quality systems.

The key issue now is whether the restored delegated authority remains supported by consistent production results. Future FAA inspections, audits, safety findings and any renewed restrictions will show whether the agency’s confidence continues to hold.

Sources

• FAA decision announcement
• Associated Press
• Reuters