Bridging aviation’s toughest gap
Certification chief Srinivasarao Boddepalli sits at the intersection of innovation and regulation, where he ensures galley insert equipment meets the meticulous standards set by both customers and the FAA.
For nearly two decades, Srinivasarao Boddepalli has served as a critical gatekeeper of aircraft cabin innovation and passenger safety.
As a certification discipline chief, Boddepalli's expertise ensures that galley insert equipment—from espresso makers to ovens—meet the extraordinarily rigorous standards required for flight.
Mastering the complexities of aviation certification
What makes Boddepalli’s expertise particularly valuable is his comprehensive understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of aircraft systems. The galley inserts he certifies are complex electromechanical systems requiring expertise across multiple engineering domains.
"We design very complex products... and there is involvement of all engineers, including electrical, mechanical, design, software," he notes when describing the challenges of his role.
A strategic partner in product development
While many might view certification as merely the final hurdle in product development, Boddepalli's involvement begins much earlier in the process. He is embedded into product development teams during the prototyping phase.
This early involvement demonstrates how Boddepalli's expertise shapes products from their inception, ensuring that certification requirements inform design decisions rather than forcing costly redesigns later.
Master of testing protocols
A hallmark of Boddepalli's expertise is his comprehensive knowledge of testing protocols. He oversees between 40 and 50 separate tests for each new product, each with specific parameters and acceptance criteria.
His testing expertise spans structural testing (vibration, shock, crash safety), environmental testing (temperature extremes and cycling), and electromagnetic compatibility—each requiring specialized equipment and interpretive skills.
Boddepalli designs testing strategies as part of the product certification process. Here, engineers are setting up a test in the EMF lab to understand what electromagnetic frequencies might be emitted by a galley insert product.
A steward of safety
For Boddepalli, certification is far more than a regulatory procedure—it's a profound ethical responsibility.
"Certification is one of the critical phases of product development. The role of a certification engineer is very important to ensure that any product we get installed on an aircraft is safe. The airlines, the crew members, the passengers, they must be safe," he emphasizes.
His reflection on this responsibility reveals the weight he carries: "The burden is on us always. Even if we were to miss something and get the product installed, still, the burden is on us if something were to happen in the field."
A career defined by excellence
Boddepalli represents an expertise shared by all certification professionals at Collins Aerospace who play a critical role in making modern cabin experiences possible. His nearly two decades of certification work at Collins have established him as not merely an engineer who understands regulations, but as a trusted guardian of performance and safety.
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