US FAA to propose changes to speed certification of new commercial airplanes

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration plans to propose changes to speed certification of new commercial airplanes, the Trump administration said in a notice on Thursday.

The FAA said it plans to propose by December changes "to modernize certain certification standards for transport category airplanes and propulsion systems." It said the effort will be deregulatory by reducing the number of "exemptions, special conditions, and equivalent level of safety findings required during the certification process."

The previous head of the FAA, Mike Whitaker, told Reuters in December the agency wanted to streamline aircraft certification and is working to use "better technology" to help streamline the process.

The FAA said it expects the proposal will "reduce certification costs and time to certify new and changed products for both industry and FAA while maintaining or increasing the level of safety." The FAA also plans to harmonize its regulations with international standards.

At one point, Boeing had hoped to get the 737 MAX 7 certified in 2022 but has faced a series of issues. Boeing in January withdrew its request for a safety exemption to address an engine de-icing issue.

Boeing said in July it now does not expect to get MAX 7 certified until next year and Southwest Airlines said they expect the plane to be approved in the first half of next year, which would put entry into service for Southwest at earliest late in 2026.

The MAX 7 must be certified before the FAA can certify the larger MAX 10. United Airlines told Reuters earlier it may not get the MAX 10 until 2027 or 2028 because of uncertainty about when the plane will be approved for use.