Boeing's Certification Mandates and FAA Self-Approval Expose Systemic Conflicts

EVERETT, Wash. - Dec. 24, 2025 - PRLog -- For more than two decades, Boeing has required suppliers to obtain AS9100 certification accredited by ANAB, while Boeing itself remains uncertified. At the same time, Boeing representatives have participated on management system accreditation committees with authority to grant, suspend, or withdraw certifications.

This concentration of influence intensified after 2009, when the FAA delegated authority to Boeing allowing the company to self-certify aircraft designs and technologies under the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program. This delegation included safety-critical systems such as MCAS.

Under this structure, Boeing employees acting as FAA designees were paid by Boeing, blurring the line between regulator and regulated entity. This effectively allowed Boeing to function simultaneously as manufacturer, certifier, and safety approver.

The result is a systemic conflict: an uncertified manufacturer mandating certification on its supply chain, influencing accreditation oversight, and approving its own aircraft and technologies.

These overlapping roles undermine confidence in aerospace quality systems, regulatory independence, and public safety. Certification systems exist to prevent exactly this concentration of unchecked authority. When one organization controls compliance, accreditation, and approval, accountability collapses.