Pre-Market Certification

In 1926, the US aviation industry asked Congress for regulation. Airlines believed the industry couldn't grow without it; unsafe planes would be bad for business long before they were bad for passengers.

The Air Commerce Act made it law. Every new aircraft had to meet federal airworthiness standards, and government inspectors test flew it before it could carry a paying passenger.

We already do this for software in cockpits, medical devices, and federal systems. Everything else ships on the manufacturer's word, checked only by what the customer finds after buying it.

Discussion prompts

• If your product had to pass an independent safety check before its first sale, what would the most significant findings be?
• Who today plays the role of the pre-market inspector for the software your organization ships?
• What would your organization lose, and what would it gain, if pre-market certification became mandatory?