Transport Secretary Duffy calls on US to speed up aircraft certification — AeroTime

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on September 30 in Washington called for reducing the time needed to certify new aircraft. According to him, lengthy procedures may deter investment in new developments and put American manufacturers at a disadvantage compared with China.

As AeroTime reports, Duffy said that the current certification process slows new developments by major aircraft manufacturers. He noted that investors may be unwilling to fund projects that require up to ten years for approval.

FAA proposals

In June 2026, the US Federal Aviation Administration proposed changes intended to reduce the time and cost of certifying transport-category aircraft and their powerplants. The initiative предусматривает adding to regulations exemptions, special conditions, and findings of equivalent safety levels that the regulator already frequently applies.

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According to the FAA's assessment, this should reduce the need for repeated approval of design solutions with which the agency is already familiar. The regulator also said the changes should maintain safety standards and bring US requirements closer to the rules of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, simplifying mutual product approvals.

Delay of the Boeing 737 MAX 10

Duffy's statement came amid another delay in the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10. On September 28, the FAA said it would not approve the aircraft until a recently disclosed software issue is resolved.

According to the agency, this software may increase pilots' workload during a go-around. On September 30, Duffy said he currently sees no safety risk associated with this issue. The FAA's proposed changes also cover cabins, emergency exits and signs, fuel-tank flammability assessment, windshield visibility, decompression standards, and protection against hazardous use of power levers or thrust reversers.