FAA approves Boeing 737NG Certification Plan for SMS’s CVM technology
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the Boeing B737NG Certification Plan on 29 October 2026, according to an ASX announcement by Structural Monitoring Systems Plc (ASX: SMN) on 2 November 2026. The plan relates to the Company’s Comparative Vacuum Monitoring (CVM) technology for the Boeing 737NG aft pressure bulkhead application.
The approval is a procedural step in the certification pathway. It is not final approval of the CVM application, and it clears one defined stage of the Boeing process.
Neville Bassett AM, Chairman
“Approval of the Certification Plan is a positive step in progressing CVM for the Boeing 737NG application. Further approvals remain outstanding, and we continue to work with Boeing through the certification process.”
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What the approval covers, and what it does not
The announcement draws a clear line between the stage now completed and the stages that remain. The table below sets out the distinction.
| Approved | Not yet approved |
|---|---|
| B737NG Certification Plan (**29 October 2026**) | Final approval of the CVM application |
| n/a | Approval of the B737NG Service Bulletin |
Three points from the announcement frame what comes next:
- The timing of the FAA’s review of the B737NG Service Bulletin remains unconfirmed.
- SMS is not providing a revised completion date.
- SMS continues to engage with Boeing on the approval process.
Separating the stages keeps expectations anchored to what has actually been achieved, and helps readers track progress as each step is completed.
Understanding aircraft certification and why CVM matters
Aviation safety technology generally needs regulator sign-off before it can be used on aircraft. A certification plan agrees the pathway, and further approvals, such as a service bulletin, follow before the technology can be applied.
CVM is the Company’s technology, and the application in this case is the Boeing 737NG aft pressure bulkhead. The stages named in the announcement are:
- Certification Plan: approved on 29 October 2026
- Service Bulletin: FAA review timing unconfirmed
- Final approval of the CVM application: outstanding
This shows where SMS sits in the process and what remains.
What remains outstanding for SMS
The Certification Plan approval is progress, though the announcement is clear that other approvals are still to come. The outstanding items are:
- Approval of the B737NG Service Bulletin
- Final approval of the CVM application
- Confirmation of the timing of the FAA’s review of the Service Bulletin
SMS continues to work with Boeing through the certification process. No completion date has been provided.
Certification progress on CVM sits alongside the company’s broader aviation activity, including the launch of the MTP138 tactical radio for special mission aircraft, which extends its avionics portfolio into a separate customer segment.
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