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FAA restores Boeing airworthiness certificate authority for new 737 MAX and 787
The FAA decision follows eight months of testing and comes as Boeing targets higher 737 MAX production of 47 jets per month mid-2026, with a longer term plan for 52 units.
The Federal Aviation Administration has restored The Boeing Company’s authority to issue airworthiness certificates for newly produced 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner aircraft, a regulatory milestone that signals easing oversight after years of restrictions. According to Yahoo Finance, the FAA decision came after eight months of joint testing and safety audits, with inspectors observing identical production quality findings whether certificates were issued by Boeing or federal agents.
Boeing had lost individual 737 MAX certification privileges in 2019 after two fatal crashes, and the restriction was later expanded to the 787 in 2022 amid manufacturing flaws. The restored certification role, per Yahoo Finance, is expected to reduce delivery friction at the factory gate by allowing Boeing to convert inventory more directly into cash.
The story also points to production pacing changes affecting near term planning. After Boeing capped output at 38 jets per month following the early-2024 Alaska Airlines door-plug incident, regulators backed expansion toward 47 MAX jets per month in mid-2026, with plans targeting 52 units per month as a fourth assembly line in Everett ramps up.
Financially, the article frames the operational unlock as key to turning cash flow. Yahoo Finance says management aims for a full year 2026 free cash flow inflection of $1 billion to $3 billion, on $5 billion to $7 billion in operating cash flow, while Fitch upgraded its rating outlook to Positive from Stable based on stabilized 737 MAX output and a credible deleveraging path. The piece adds that Boeing’s consolidated debt is near $47.20 billion, leaving limited financial flexibility even as oversight eases.