The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it plans changes to how new airplane models are certified, but will preserve Boeing’s critical role in that process despite criticism the OEM made mistakes in certifying the 737 MAX.
The FAA responded to recommendations made in January by an advisory committee set up by U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who oversees the FAA, in a report released Tuesday.
In a statement, the FAA said those recommendations confirmed that its existing safety protocols are “sound,” though there are “areas where we have opportunities to improve.”
These areas do not include ending the controversial practice of FAA to give companies such as Boeing authority to review their own designs. The early stages of the MCAS design on the 737 Max were reviewed by FAA, but the system was later expanded and that work was only approved by Boeing employees.
The panel said that found this delegation process was appropriate because FAA can’t possibly keep up with the industry’s needs with its relatively small staff. However, it said the process must be free from undue pressure by manufacturers.
In its report on Tuesday, the FAA said it plans to require more standardised risk assessments in the delegation process, “systemically address any actual undue pressure” and improve lines of communication between its employees and company engineers assessing designs.