FAA Grants Boeing Self‑Certification Rights for 737 MAX and 787 Aircraft

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced that Boeing will again be permitted to issue airworthiness certificates for all newly‑produced 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner jets, effective next week. The decision follows several months of data and safety reviews that the agency says demonstrate consistent production quality, and it reflects the FAA’s confidence that Boeing can perform final safety checks under continued FAA oversight.

The FAA will maintain inspections, audits and monitoring of Boeing’s production system, and inspectors will continue to focus on early defect detection. Authority to self‑certify was removed in 2019 after two fatal MAX crashes and in 2022 for the 787 due to quality concerns; since September the two entities have alternated certification weeks. The agency also noted that it has raised Boeing’s monthly production cap, first to 42 aircraft and now to 47 per month. Certification of the smaller 737 MAX 7 is expected this summer, with the larger MAX 10 slated for approval later in the year.

In a related development, Boeing says it is close to securing regulatory approval for an engine anti‑ice system fix required for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 variants. About 30 MAX 7 and nine MAX 10 jets are already built and awaiting delivery. The fix addresses a potential overheating issue and also reduces engine noise. The FAA expects to certify the MAX 7 this summer, while the MAX 10 is 98 % through flight‑test certification.