The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is permitting Boeing to resume a limited role in issuing airworthiness certificates for selected 737 MAX and 787 models.

This change will see Boeing and the FAA alternating weekly in the certification process, with the latter maintaining oversight throughout.

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

“This decision follows a thorough review of Boeing’s ongoing production quality and will allow our inspectors to focus additional surveillance in the production process.”

The agency will continue direct supervision over Boeing’s production, aiming to allocate inspector resources more efficiently by deploying them to key areas of assembly and trend analysis.

This policy shift leverages the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) programme, which enables certified organisations to carry out specific regulatory functions on behalf of the FAA.

In May this year, the FAA renewed Boeing’s ODA for three years from 1 June 2025.

Limited delegation will allow FAA inspectors to concentrate on monitoring critical manufacturing stages, examining compliance with technical specifications, and evaluating activities linked to Boeing’s Safety Management System upgrades.

Inspectors are also directed to monitor Boeing’s internal safety reporting environment.

The FAA originally withdrew Boeing's authority to self-certify airworthiness for 737 MAX aircraft in 2019 after the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, and for 787 models in 2022 due to manufacturing quality concerns.

In June this year, the FAA selected Saab’s Aerobahn Runway and Surface Safety service for implementation at 26 additional US airports as part of its Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) Block 3. This initiative aims to enhance safety on airport runways.