The Federal Aviation Administration has told Congress it will let Boeing start issuing airworthiness certificates for all 737 MAX and 787 airplanes beginning next week, a major shift in how jets get signed off that could speed deliveries just as the planemaker tries to ramp up production. The agency says the move follows months of internal data and safety reviews that support changing its approach. Boeing did not immediately comment on the development.
According to Reuters, the FAA told lawmakers in an email that the change reflects confidence in Boeing’s production quality after a sustained review. Reuters noted that restoring this authority is seen as a significant milestone as Boeing works to increase output.
This is not the first step back toward delegation. In 2025 the FAA began restoring limited authority, announcing on Sept. 26, 2025, that it would allow Boeing to issue airworthiness certificates for some 737 MAX and 787 airplanes beginning Sept. 29, 2025. Under that setup, Boeing and the FAA would alternate issuing certificates on different weeks, with the agency stressing that it would keep direct, rigorous oversight of production. For the original details of that earlier move, see the FAA.
Boeing has framed the latest change as part of a broader push to clear certification tasks and meet delivery commitments for several MAX variants and other programs. In a company update published on July 16, 2026, Boeing said teams were closing out flight-test and documentation milestones and that certification deliverables for some MAX models were nearing completion. For more on Boeing’s own view of the certification timeline, see Boeing.
What This Means For Deliveries And Oversight
Letting Boeing sign at least some of its own airworthiness paperwork could shave time off the gap between final assembly and handover to customers, easing pressure on airlines that have been waiting on new jets. The FAA has said the arrangement is intended to free its inspectors to focus more surveillance on critical stages of assembly and on trending issues instead of inspecting every finished airplane, a shift the agency argues will strengthen overall oversight.
Even so, that trade-off between faster deliveries and direct, independent verification will be at the center of how regulators, airlines, and the flying public judge this move.
Watchdogs And Lawmakers Remain Skeptical
Federal watchdogs and some members of Congress have pushed the FAA to tighten controls after past certification failures. A review of the 737 MAX return-to-service process by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General concluded that the FAA had opportunities to improve risk assessment and oversight practices after the 2019–20 crashes, serving as a warning as delegation expands (Office of Inspector General).
As Reuters reported, the FAA revoked Boeing’s authority to approve individual 737 MAX aircraft in 2019 and later suspended similar delegation for the 787 in 2022 after production-quality concerns.
Bottom Line
The FAA’s latest move amounts to a notable vote of confidence in Boeing’s recent production work and could help untangle the delivery backlog that has frustrated airlines. At the same time, watchdogs and lawmakers are likely to keep a close eye on whether the agency truly maintains intense, independent oversight as Boeing takes on more responsibility for signing off its own jets.
