Agency Extends Controversial Oversight Program for Three More Years

The Federal Aviation Administration recently agreed to renew Boeing’s self-oversight program, allowing the plane maker to certify most of its own inspections, repairs, and factory work for at least another three years. This setup has garnered considerable criticism due to several high-profile incidents.

Boeing oversight runs under the FAA’s Organization Designation Authorization: a program established in 2005 to reduce the regulator's workload by letting outside companies handle a number of tasks. It sets a nationwide standard for manufacturer oversight on anything from new aircraft designs to repair approvals.

While this plan works on paper, Boeing’s program has been called out by numerous whistleblowers claiming to feel pressured to ignore safety concerns. A recent case involved John Barnett, who reported seeing discarded metal shavings near wiring for flight controls after he retired. He claimed to have brought this up to supervisors during his nearly 30 years of work for Boeing, but was ignored each time. Barnett spent days in questioning for a federal labor lawsuit against Boeing before taking his life.

Criticism of Boeing’s self-certification freedom peaked after two tragic 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. In total, 346 people were killed in less than five months.

In the wake of the spike in concerning events, the FAA temporarily restricted Boeing's ODA authority and suspended its ticketing authority for the 737 and 787 programs. The agency renewed the former system in 2022, but gave the planemaker a three-year approval instead of the five it wanted.

With the previous period at its end, the FAA has confirmed its decision to renew Boeing’s ODA for another three years. It stated that “rigorous reviews” were conducted that showed "improvements in most areas.”

“The FAA will continue to closely monitor Boeing’s performance throughout its renewal period,” it noted.

FMI: www.faa.gov