FAA Restores Boeing's Authority to Self-Certify 737 Max and 787 Airworthiness

After months of review, the FAA is allowing Boeing to once again certify its own 737 Max and 787 jets as airworthy, starting next week.

Boeing is regaining the authority to sign off on the airworthiness of its own commercial jets — a privilege it had lost following intense regulatory scrutiny. The FAA announced Friday that Boeing will resume responsibility for certifying all 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft beginning next week, ending a period of heightened federal oversight. The FAA said the decision followed months of review of Boeing's safety and quality processes. The agency had previously taken greater direct control over certification steps after a series of manufacturing and safety incidents brought scrutiny to Boeing's internal oversight systems, most notably the January 2024 door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in flight. Self-certification, formally known as the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program, allows manufacturers to conduct certain FAA-delegated safety inspections and sign airworthiness certificates on behalf of the agency. Boeing had held this authority for years before it was curtailed following the manufacturing problems that drew congressional and regulatory attention.

Why it matters

Restoring self-certification authority is a significant operational and reputational milestone for Boeing, affecting the pace at which it can deliver new aircraft to airlines. It signals the FAA's assessment that Boeing's internal quality systems have improved sufficiently to meet federal standards.

What's next

Boeing is expected to begin exercising the restored self-certification authority starting next week, with the FAA presumably continuing to monitor the manufacturer's compliance.

Key facts

• Boeing will resume self-certifying 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner jets starting next week
• The FAA announced the decision on a Friday following months of review
• Self-certification authority had been curtailed after a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in January 2024
• The program involved covers both the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft lines
• The authority being restored is part of the FAA's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program

Bias & framing notes

Only one source contained usable body text, limiting depth of reporting. The available reporting is straightforward and factual in tone. No opposing viewpoints, safety advocate responses, or Boeing statements were included in the available text, so the full context of reactions to this decision is absent.

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