FAA Aims to Speed Up Airplane Certification Process
Published Date: 6/26/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants to update the rules for certifying big airplanes and their engines to make the process faster, cheaper, and safer. This change helps airplane makers by cutting down on extra paperwork and aligning U.S. rules with global standards. Comments are open until August 25, 2026, so industry folks and the public can weigh in before these improvements take off.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Faster, Cheaper Airplane Certification
If you build or modify transport-category airplanes or engines, the FAA proposes changes that would reduce the number of exemptions, special conditions, and equivalent level of safety findings needed for certification. The proposal says this will reduce certification costs and time to certify new and changed products for both industry and FAA, while maintaining or improving safety.
U.S.-Europe Rule Harmonization Cuts Burden
The FAA proposes to harmonize many Part 25 rules with EASA (European) standards and remove 27 differences between U.S. and European rules. If you sell transport-category airplanes or modifiers internationally, this harmonization is intended to reduce the cost and complexity of meeting two different certification standards.
Executive-Interior Rules Reworked
The FAA proposes to remove SFAR No. 109 (which applied to private-use executive interiors limited to 60 or fewer passengers) and fold its key provisions into new Part 25 sections. The proposal would add definitions for 'low occupancy' and 'non-commercially operated' airplanes and would change limits (for example, applying an upper limit of 150 passengers per deck or one-half of the maximum seating capacity per deck, whichever is less) to reduce the need for exemptions and ELOS findings for executive interiors.
New Protections Against In-Flight Power/Reverser Errors
The FAA proposes a new rule to require means that prevent flightcrew on propeller-powered airplanes from placing the power lever below flight idle in flight, unless the airplane is certified for that operation, and a similar requirement for some turbojet airplanes with thrust reversers. This change is intended to address NTSB safety recommendations.
Lavatory Disposal Rule Reduces Maintenance Burden
The FAA proposes to replace the requirement for self-contained removable ashtrays in lavatories with a requirement that lavatories have a means to safely dispose of lit combustible material. The change would give operators more design options and could reduce excessive maintenance associated with removable ashtrays.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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