FAA restores Boeing's ability to certify Max jets over 6 yrs after crashes

Boeing is getting back the ability to perform final safety inspections on 737 Max jetliners and certify the planes for flight more than six years after crashes of the then-new model killed 346 people, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.

The FAA said it decided to restore the aerospace company's authorisation to issue airworthiness certificates for Max and 787 Dreamliner passenger planes starting Monday following a thorough review of Boeing's ongoing production quality.

Federal regulators took full control over 737 Max approvals in 2019, after the second of two crashes that were later blamed on a new software system Boeing developed for the aircraft.

The FAA ended the company's right to self-certify Dreamliners in 2022, citing ongoing production quality issues.

Going forward, Boeing and FAA inspectors will take weekly turns performing the safety checks that are required before aircraft are cleared for delivery and declared safe to fly. The FAA said the arrangement will free up more of its inspectors to conduct rigorous quality checks on the production line at Boeing plants.

The Associated Press sent emailed requests Friday to Boeing for comment.

The company's stock price was up about 4 per cent in afternoon trading, as the FAA announcement coincided with news about Boeing securing two more orders from foreign airlines.

Turkey's flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, said Friday that it planned to buy 75 Dreamliners and wants to eventually buy up to 150 more 737 Max jets. Boeing said the Max purchase would be the largest single order for its best-selling aircraft, if the deal is finalized.

Norwegian Group, the aviation company that operates Norwegian Air Shuttle and regional airline Wideroe, also placed an order for 30 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes, Boeing said Friday.

Since President Donald Trump's return to the White House this year, his administration has made Boeing a focus of its plans to revive US manufacturing. A number of international airlines have signed sales agreements with Boeing in recent months.

Some Boeing critics have questioned how meaningfully the company has reformed its culture and processes to ensure the passenger planes it produces are safe.

The FAA announced earlier this month that it was seeking USD 3.1 million in fines from Boeing over alleged safety violations between September 2023 and February 2024. They included the January 2024 blowout of a paneled-over exit door on a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight.