Amid a wave of bad news, Boeing reached a milestone on Friday, the first certification flight of the 777-9 widebody with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
One of four test aircraft, N779XY completed a 1 hour and 52 minute flight from Boeing Field in Seattle.
The first certification flight took place after Boeing obtained Type Inspection Authorization from the FAA, which means that the manufacturer met minimum requirements for the evaluation to begin.
Follow Air Data News: WhatsApp | Google News | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
“The 777-9 began certification flight testing at Boeing Field in Seattle, an important step as we work under the oversight of our regulator to get the airplane certified and deliver it to customers around the world,” Boeing announced on its social media.
The largest twin-engine passenger aircraft in history
Boeing has been trying to bring a new generation of the widebody 777 to the market since the beginning of the 2010s.
The proposal was to improve the original project following the lessons learned from the development of the 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft that uses more efficient structures, avionics, engines and aerodynamics solutions.
The 777-9 began certification flight testing at Boeing Field in Seattle, an important step as we work under the oversight of our regulator to get the airplane certified and deliver it to customers around the world. pic.twitter.com/xayL7ncLKw
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) July 13, 2024
Furthermore, the 777X is the largest twin-engine passenger aircraft in history, with capacity for 426 seats in two classes in the 777-9 version.
Despite launching the 777X in 2013, Boeing made slow progress in its program, which ended up being interrupted by technical difficulties such as the new GE9X engines.
The inaugural flight took place on January 25, 2020 after several delays and as the company dealt with the consequences of two fatal 737 MAX crashes.
Bet on entry into service at the end of 2025
Even with the Covid-19 pandemic, Boeing put four test aircraft into flight to seek certification in a short time.
However, revelations about fraudulent 737 MAX certification procedures and quality problems on its assembly lines caused the FAA to tighten the process.
Now, Boeing maintains its forecast of putting the 777-9, the first variant of three, into service in late 2025 with launch customer Lufthansa and then Emirates Airline.
The two carriers, however, are pessimistic and expect the aircraft only from 2026.
