Boeing has begun its 777-9 certification flight testing with approval from US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The 777-9 is part of Boeing's 777X project, which will upgrade its 777 fleet - an aircraft that first took to the skies 30 years ago. The 777X programme also includes the 777-8 freighter and passenger aircraft.
After receiving its type inspection authorisation (TIA) from the FAA and began testing on the night of July 12, 2024.
""With TIA for the 777-9, we began certification flight testing with US FAA personnel on board the aircraft,"" a Boeing spokesperson said. ""The certification flight testing will continue validating the airplane’s safety, reliability and performance.""
The FAA - while it could not comment on the specifics of the project - it added in a statement: ""Generally, this kind of thorough process takes many months.""
Flight testing of the 777-9 began in January 2020, but was halted by a series of hiccups in its certification process. The news is no doubt a great boon to the OEM after a series of challenges following the Flight 1282 incident on January 5, 2024.
777-9 begins certification flight testing with FAA
