Boeing Begins Certification Flight Testing of Long-Delayed 777-9

Boeing has started certification flight testing of its long-delayed 777-9 with U.S. aviation regulators onboard, the U.S. planemaker said in an emailed statement.

The company said it conducted its first flight Friday night after receiving Type Inspection Authorization (TIA).

A Significant Development for Boeing:

The development boosts Boeing, which has grappled with production and legal issues since a Jan. 5 mid-air panel blowout on a 737 MAX plane. Air Current first reported the news.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declined to comment on specific certification projects but said, “Generally, this kind of thorough process takes many months.”

The 777-9 is part of the 777X project to upgrade the 777 wide-body jet. The project has developed since 2013 but has faced multiple hold-ups, including certification delays.

Significance of Type Inspection Authorization:

Type inspection authorization is typically associated with the start of the certification process, created after the FAA has examined technical data. The milestone allows FAA pilots to participate in flight testing to certify the plane for normal operation.

The chairman of Emirates, the plane’s biggest customer, said in May he did not expect the certification before the first quarter of 2025. Boeing has said that the 777-9 test fleet will undergo the most thorough commercial flight test effort the planemaker has ever undertaken.