The FAA proposes updating aircraft certification rules to ensure safety while speeding approvals

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed changes to the airworthiness standards used to certify commercial transport aircraft to accelerate approvals while maintaining current safety levels.

As reported by Reuters, the changes would modernise decades-old certification requirements by replacing many prescriptive design standards with performance-based regulations. The FAA says the changes will better accommodate emerging technologies, reduce unnecessary regulatory complexity, and bring US certification requirements into closer alignment with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The proposal would reduce the number of exemptions, special conditions, and equivalent safety findings required of manufacturers when certifying new aircraft designs.

FAA wants to move away from prescriptive aircraft certification rules

Commercial aircraft in the United States are certificated under 14 CFR Part 25, a comprehensive set of airworthiness standards covering everything from aircraft structures and flight controls to systems, passenger safety, and crashworthiness.

Many of those prescriptive requirements have evolved over decades and were written around conventional aircraft designs. As manufacturers introduce increasingly advanced materials, digital flight systems, hybrid propulsion concepts, and new aircraft configurations, they frequently must demonstrate alternative means of compliance or seek exemptions because existing regulations do not fully reflect modern technology.

The FAA says the proposed rule would shift many of these requirements towards performance-based standards, specifying the level of safety an aircraft must achieve rather than prescribing exactly how manufacturers must meet it.

The agency believes this approach will provide greater flexibility for innovation while reducing certification delays.

FAA seeks closer alignment with EASA

Another key objective is greater harmonisation between the FAA’s certification framework and EASA’s Certification Specifications for Large Aeroplanes (CS-25).

The two agencies have worked for decades to align their requirements, but differences persist, requiring manufacturers to perform duplicate engineering analyses and obtain separate regulatory approvals.

During the recent FAA-EASA International Aviation Safety Conference, the agencies reaffirmed their commitment to closer collaboration on certification, safety oversight and emerging technologies.

“This is one of the most innovative moments in aviation, not just for America but also for our international partners,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford in the announcement. “Sharing information and fostering conversations about safety allow us to strengthen our international partnerships and ensure aviation systems evolve safely and efficiently.”

Florian Guillermet, Executive Director of EASA, added: “As aviation evolves at an unprecedented pace, strong cooperation between regulators is essential to maintain the highest level of safety. By working together, sharing expertise, and aligning our approaches, EASA and the FAA can support innovation while preserving public confidence in aviation.”

By bringing the two regulators’ standards into closer alignment, the FAA expects manufacturers to spend less time navigating different certification requirements and to make the certification process more efficient for both regulators.

The changes would benefit major aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and Bombardier, whose commercial aircraft require certification by both authorities before entering service.

Modernisation rather than deregulation

The proposal comes as the FAA continues its broader efforts to modernise aircraft certification following extensive reforms introduced in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX accidents.

Those reforms increased FAA oversight of certification programmes, expanded the use of independent Technical Advisory Boards for major aircraft projects, and implemented certification changes mandated by the US Congress.

Rather than reducing oversight, the FAA says the latest proposal would modernise outdated regulations while preserving the high safety standards expected of commercial aircraft certification.

The agency has emphasised that future certification must accommodate rapidly evolving technologies without requiring repeated exemptions from rules originally written for previous generations of aircraft.

Supporting future aircraft programmes

The FAA and EASA are preparing for increasingly complex future aircraft programmes.

New commercial aircraft will incorporate higher levels of automation, advanced composite structures, sustainable propulsion technologies, and more sophisticated software systems, placing greater demands on certification frameworks that were first developed decades ago.

By adopting more flexible, performance-based regulations, the FAA hopes future certification programmes can advance more efficiently while the regulator maintains rigorous safety oversight.

Featured Image: Boeing