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Yes. Boeing regained the ability to issue airworthiness certificates for all 737 MAX and 787 aircraft on July 20, 2026, but the FAA retained inspections, audits and production monitoring. The change returned one certification task to Boeing; it did not end federal oversight.
Why the FAA increased oversight
The expanded oversight followed the January 5, 2024, door-plug separation on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 MAX. The FAA grounded approximately 171 affected aircraft and announced a special production audit, increased monitoring of in-service events, and a review of safety risks related to delegated authority and quality oversight. It also said it was considering independent third-party oversight of Boeing inspections and its quality system.
On January 24, 2024, the FAA said it would not approve an expansion of 737 MAX production until quality-control issues were resolved. It also required an enhanced inspection and maintenance process for each grounded 737-9 MAX before it could return to service.
What the special audit found
The FAA’s early-2024 special production audit identified non-compliance involving manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control. The agency said the audit was part of an ongoing investigation and did not release further details at the time.
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Boeing’s action plan was a starting point
In February 2024, then-FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker directed Boeing to develop a comprehensive action plan. Boeing submitted it on May 30. Its commitments included stronger employee reporting, clearer procedures and work instructions, improved supplier oversight, more training and communication, and additional internal production audits. The FAA described the plan as the beginning of implementation—not the end of increased oversight. Whitaker said, “This does not mark the end of our increased oversight of Boeing and its suppliers, but it sets a new standard of how Boeing does business.”
What enhanced oversight involves
The FAA and the Department of Transportation described the approach as “audit plus inspection.” It goes beyond periodic reviews of paperwork or a production limit: it combines inspectors’ presence at facilities with checks at critical production stages, closer scrutiny of quality systems and build processes, direct conversations with employees, and independent monitoring of quality measures and risk indicators.
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- On-site checks: More FAA inspectors at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities, including additional checks at critical stages of production.
- Audits and production monitoring: More frequent reviews of quality systems and build processes, alongside monitoring of production quality and risk indicators.
- Employee engagement: Inspectors speak directly with employees as part of oversight.
- Action-plan tracking: The FAA monitors Boeing’s implementation, performance indicators, and whether corrective measures are working.
- Safety-system scrutiny: The FAA continues to examine Boeing’s Safety Management System and safety culture as well as production compliance.
DOT testimony characterized the increased on-site presence as continuing for the foreseeable future and described changes to the FAA’s oversight approach as permanent. In July 2026, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said inspectors would keep overseeing production while focusing more of their time on identifying and addressing potential risks earlier in manufacturing.
What changed in July 2026—and what did not
On July 17, 2026, the FAA announced that Boeing could resume issuing airworthiness certificates for all 737 MAX and 787 aircraft, effective July 20. The decision followed eight months of review of production-quality data. In September 2025, Boeing had been allowed to issue certificates for some 737 MAX and 787 aircraft on alternating weeks with the FAA. After comparing quality findings under both arrangements, the FAA said it could safely return the responsibility to Boeing.
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An airworthiness certificate confirms that an aircraft is safe to operate and is the final stage of production. Boeing’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) unit is an independent group within the company that performs functions authorized by the FAA. Delegating this certification function does not mean the FAA has stopped supervising Boeing: the agency said it would continue inspections, audits and monitoring of production, critical assembly work, quality trends, compliance with approved design and engineering requirements, and Boeing’s safety systems and culture. The FAA renewed Boeing’s ODA for three years in May 2025.
| Question | What the FAA’s decision means |
|---|---|
| Who may issue airworthiness certificates? | Boeing may issue them for all 737 MAX and 787 aircraft, effective July 20, 2026, under FAA-authorized delegation. |
| Did the FAA end production oversight? | No. The FAA said inspections, audits and production monitoring would continue. |
| Did the decision establish that all oversight concerns were resolved? | No. The decision returned a certification function after the FAA’s review; it does not by itself show that every identified weakness in oversight or safety systems has been addressed. |
The oversight record still includes serious criticism
The FAA convened 24 experts to review Boeing’s safety management processes and safety culture. The panel submitted recommendations in September 2024. The FAA agreed with all 53: 44 for Boeing, seven for the FAA, and two for both. The agency says it tracks their completion.
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A separate assessment by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, published October 9, 2024, identified weaknesses in how the FAA found and resolved Boeing production issues. Among its findings, the FAA had not used data-driven assessments to target audits, audits were not structured to provide comprehensive assessments, the agency had not adequately ensured Boeing and its suppliers could produce conforming parts, and it had not assessed the effectiveness of Boeing’s Safety Management System. The report also discussed difficulties in addressing allegations of undue pressure within manufacturing. Those findings are important context for the 2026 certification decision: returning one delegated task is not evidence that every concern has been settled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the 737 MAX production cap still 42 aircraft per month?
A U.S. Government Publishing Office congressional hearing document published in 2026 reports that the FAA raised the 737 MAX production ceiling from 38 to 42 aircraft per month in November 2025 after Boeing met specified performance-indicator thresholds. The FAA’s July 2026 announcement does not say whether that ceiling changed afterward. The latest figure found in the cited public record is therefore 42 per month as of November 2025; the current cap on October 8, 2026, is not established by these sources.
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