US Regulator Allows Boeing To Resume Certifying Some New Jets After Deadly Crashes

Last Updated:September 26, 2025, 23:38 IST

FAA allows Boeing to certify airworthiness of some new 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner plane.

The shift marks a significant milestone in Boeing’s recovery after years of safety scandals and production setbacks.(Representational image)

US air safety regulators will once again allow Boeing to certify the airworthiness of some of its newly produced planes, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced. Under the new arrangement, Boeing will be permitted to issue airworthiness certificates on alternating weeks for freshly built 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner aircraft. In the intervening weeks, FAA inspectors will continue to carry out the certifications themselves, the agency said.

The decision restores a privilege Boeing once held but lost after a series of crises, including the deadly 2018 and 2019 MAX crashes and later quality-control lapses with the 787.

“Safety drives everything we do, and the FAA will only allow this step forward because we are confident it can be done safely,” the regulator said.

It added that inspectors will now be able to “focus additional surveillance in the production process,” even as Boeing regains a measure of responsibility.

The shift marks a significant milestone in Boeing’s recovery after years of safety scandals and production setbacks. The 737 MAX was grounded globally for nearly two years following two crashes that killed 346 people. While the jet returned to service in late 2020, Boeing continued to face scrutiny, most recently after a January 2024 incident in which an Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing when a window panel detached midair.

The FAA had stripped Boeing of its authority to issue certificates for the 737 MAX in 2019 and for the 787 Dreamliner in 2022 over production problems.

Improving relations between Boeing and regulators have been credited by analysts to Kelly Ortberg, the aviation veteran who took over as Boeing’s CEO in August 2024. Kelly Ortberg has pledged to overhaul the company’s culture and said progress was strong enough to request a production increase for the MAX later this year.

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