The Federal Aviation Administration has unveiled a proposal designed to modernize the process for certifying new commercial aircraft and to bring portions of U.S. rules into closer alignment with those used in Europe. The agency said the initiative aims to speed approvals while keeping safety standards at least as stringent as they are today.
By mirroring certain requirements of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the FAA said manufacturers would face more consistent expectations across jurisdictions. The agency said that consistency should help reduce the cost, time and complexity currently associated with certifying new airplane models.
The FAA and its European counterpart have committed to enhanced cooperation on safety and certification matters, the agency said. That collaboration, the FAA added, could provide direct benefits to major airframe makers, naming Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier as companies that could see advantages from the proposed changes.
Approvals for new airplane types frequently stretch over multiple years and require extensive testing and the submission of large volumes of data. The FAA framed the modernization effort as a way to shorten those timelines and lower certification expenses without compromising safety, saying the updated airworthiness standards would cut time and costs while maintaining or increasing safety.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford has been an advocate for reforming certification procedures and noted earlier this year that the agency has "a few projects working with industry to see how they can streamline the process." The agency also referenced prior leadership comments that the FAA had been looking at using improved technology to streamline certification work.
Regulators earlier signaled planned adjustments in September to reduce the need for a variety of special approval pathways during certification, including exemptions, special conditions, and equivalent level of safety findings. The FAA indicated those changes would be part of its broader effort to modernize airworthiness standards.
In a related development, the FAA and the European regulator recently reported significant progress toward approving two new variants of the Boeing 737 MAX for operational use. Boeing had anticipated certification of the 737 MAX 7 in 2022 but has since encountered a series of issues that delayed that timeline.
Deputy FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said the agency is in the final stages of certifying the smaller MAX 7 and the larger MAX 10. EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet said at a safety conference that validating the MAX 10 for service is a top priority for the European agency.
Summary
The FAA proposed regulatory updates to speed and simplify certification of new commercial aircraft by harmonizing some requirements with Europe's regulator. The agency said the changes aim to cut time and cost while keeping safety levels steady or improved, and could aid major manufacturers as regulators coordinate on recent Boeing MAX variants.
- Key points:
- Proposal seeks to harmonize some FAA standards with EASA to provide consistent requirements and reduce certification complexity - impacts aerospace manufacturing and regulatory sectors.
- FAA says modernization will shorten certification timelines and reduce costs while maintaining or increasing safety - relevant to aircraft makers and airline fleet planning.
- FAA and EASA report progress on certifying two Boeing 737 MAX variants; MAX 7 and MAX 10 remain priorities for both agencies - affects commercial aircraft supply and airline delivery schedules.
- Risks and uncertainties:
- Implementation risk - the proposal must be finalized and adopted before promised time and cost savings materialize, affecting manufacturers and airlines.
- Certification delays persist - despite the plan, approvals for new models can still take years due to testing and data requirements, which could continue to affect production schedules and deliveries.
- Technical and program-specific issues - problems encountered by specific models, such as delays that affected the 737 MAX 7, may continue to impede certification timelines despite regulatory changes.