Global Aviation Round-Up from Aircraft Value Intelligence (AVN)
Boeing 737 MAX. (Photo: Boeing)
Editor’s Note: To watch John’s concise video analysis of Boeing’s latest quarterly operating results (for the first quarter of 2026), click here.
Boeing has crossed another important threshold in its effort to rebuild trust with regulators, airlines and the flying public. Beginning next week, the aerospace giant will once again assume responsibility for issuing final airworthiness certifications on its 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner aircraft, ending a period of direct federal oversight that followed years of safety failures and manufacturing lapses.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on July 17 that Boeing has demonstrated sufficient improvements in its inspection processes to resume the work. Since last September, FAA inspectors and Boeing personnel have alternated responsibility for conducting the final safety inspections required before aircraft could be delivered to customers.
According to the agency, the parallel inspections consistently produced the same conclusions, giving regulators confidence that Boeing’s quality controls have improved.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford called the decision a reflection of the agency’s confidence in Boeing’s current inspection procedures, while emphasizing that safety remains the overriding priority. Federal inspectors will continue to maintain a significant presence inside Boeing’s factories, shifting more of their attention toward identifying production problems before they reach the final stages of assembly.
For Boeing, the FAA’s decision represents far more than an administrative change. It is another sign that the manufacturer is slowly emerging from the deepest crisis in its modern history.
The company’s troubles were largely self-inflicted. Investigations into the two fatal 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which claimed 346 lives, exposed a corporate culture that critics said had drifted dangerously away from Boeing’s engineering roots. Cost control, production schedules and shareholder returns increasingly appeared to overshadow the company’s historic emphasis on technical excellence and product safety.
Congressional investigations, independent reviews and internal documents painted an unsettling picture of management failures, inadequate oversight and an organization where engineers often found themselves overruled by financial and production pressures. The damage to Boeing’s reputation was immense, leading to years of regulatory scrutiny, legal settlements and billions of dollars in financial losses.
Those concerns resurfaced again in January 2024, when a door plug detached from an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 shortly after takeoff. Although no one was killed, the incident renewed questions about Boeing’s manufacturing discipline and prompted the FAA to impose strict production limits while launching another sweeping review of the company’s quality control systems.
The agency initially capped monthly production of the 737 MAX at 38 aircraft. As Boeing demonstrated measurable improvements, regulators gradually relaxed those restrictions. The ceiling has since increased to 47 aircraft per month, reflecting growing confidence without removing oversight altogether.
The latest FAA decision fits into that broader pattern. Regulators are acknowledging progress, but they are not declaring victory.
Back to Basics
That cautious approach mirrors the tone adopted by Boeing’s new leadership. Since taking the helm last year, Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg has sought to steer the company back toward the principles that once defined Boeing’s culture.
A longtime aerospace executive widely respected throughout the industry, Ortberg has repeatedly argued that engineering excellence, manufacturing discipline and safety must once again become the company’s primary priorities.
Rather than emphasizing aggressive production targets or quarterly financial results, Ortberg has focused on repairing relationships with regulators, strengthening quality controls and giving engineers a greater voice in decision-making. Employees have been encouraged to report manufacturing concerns without fear of retaliation, while the company has invested additional resources in inspections, training and production oversight.
Industry observers generally agree that the tone inside Boeing has changed under Ortberg. Many view him as a stabilizing figure who understands that the company’s long-term financial recovery depends on restoring credibility first. That represents a marked departure from the management philosophy that many critics believe contributed to Boeing’s decline over the past decade.
Still, rebuilding a reputation as one of the world’s premier aerospace manufacturers will take years, not months.
The FAA made clear that its oversight is far from over. Inspectors will remain embedded in Boeing’s facilities, monitoring production and ensuring that improvements are sustained. Regulators have stressed that any signs of backsliding could prompt additional action.
Boeing itself acknowledged that the work continues. In a statement, the company said it will continue building commercial aircraft under FAA oversight while ensuring every airplane complies with federal airworthiness standards.
For airlines awaiting new aircraft, the FAA’s decision could help streamline deliveries and ease some of the supply constraints that have plagued the industry. Yet few expect regulators to loosen their vigilance anytime soon.
Whether Boeing has truly turned the corner remains an open question. The company has made measurable progress under Kelly Ortberg, and the FAA’s decision to restore certification authority represents an important vote of confidence.
However, after years of fatal mistakes, production failures and broken public trust, confidence will ultimately be earned not through announcements or policy changes, but through years of consistently safe airplanes leaving the factory floor.
Further clues as to the resiliency of Boeing’s comeback will be found in the company’s Q2 2026 operating results, scheduled for release on July 28.
John Persinos is the editor-in-chief of Aircraft Value Intelligence.
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