US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants the United States to accelerate certification of new aircraft from Boeing and other manufacturers, citing growing competition from China after remarks in Washington on Tuesday. He warned that lengthy approvals can deter private investment and leave US aerospace groups at a commercial disadvantage.
The certification process for a new airliner can take five years or more because it requires extensive testing, data and documentation. That timetable has become a strategic issue for Boeing, which has faced long delays on programmes including the 737 MAX 7 and 777X, and for other manufacturers weighing development plans and delivery schedules.
The push follows a Federal Aviation Administration proposal from June to modernise and streamline approval of new commercial aircraft while maintaining safety standards. The draft would reduce reliance on exemptions, special conditions and equivalent-level-of-safety findings, and would bring US rules closer to European standards in areas such as cabin interiors, emergency exits and signs, fuel-tank flammability assessments, windshield visibility, decompression standards and thrust-reverser protections.