US wants to speed certification of new airplanes

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – The head of the US Transportation Department said on Wednesday that he wants to speed certification of new airplanes from Boeing and other manufacturers, citing competition concerns from China.

“Where’s the new innovation in aviation from the big producers? It doesn’t happen because it’s so hard to certify,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at an event in Washington. “We need to make sure we have safe aviation, but can we move faster?”

Approving a new airplane can take five or more years and ​require substantial testing and data and extensive documentation. The Federal Aviation Administration in June proposed changes to modernize and speed certification of new commercial airplanes.

“If we can’t if we can’t move at a different pace in certification, we’re going to lose. China is going to beat us. We’re going to lose not because you don’t have the innovation,” Duffy told reporters after an event, warning that private capital is not going to invest in innovation because it is going to take a decade for approvals.

The effort could be a boost to manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, ⁠Embraer and Bombardier.

It took Boeing over eight years to get the smaller 737 MAX 7 certified, which was finally approved in August. The certification of the 777x is more than five years behind Boeing’s original schedule.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford has pushed for ​reforms to certification and disclosed earlier this year the agency has a few projects working with industry “to see how they can streamline the process.”

The prior FAA head, Mike Whitaker, told ​Reuters in 2024 that the agency was looking at using better technology ​to streamline the process.

Reuters first reported the FAA’s planned changes in September, disclosing the agency ‌planned ⁠to reduce the number of “exemptions, special conditions, and equivalent level of safety findings required during the certification process.”

Duffy also urged more entrants in commercial space. “It needs to be more vibrant. We need more competition, more players,” Duffy said, adding the government is also trying to move faster in space to speed innovation.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Franklin Paul and Aurora Ellis)

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