KUALA LUMPUR: Boeing's latest twin-engine aircraft model, the B777-9, has officially begun its flight test on Saturday (Malaysia time zone) with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) onboard after a long-delayed certification programme.
Boeing said it received the Type Inspection Authorisation (TIA) from the FAA which gave the company the green light to start the flight test and the certification process – a key milestone in the airplane's development.
"With TIA for the B777-9, we began certification flight testing with U.S. FAA personnel on board the aircraft. The certification flight testing will continue validating the airplane's safety, reliability and performance."
"We appreciate our regulator's rigorous oversight and are grateful to our customers who have chosen the B777-9 for its efficiency, environmental performance and passenger comfort," Boeing said in a statement yesterday.
The American plane manufacturer added that that the B777-9 flight test will undergo the most thorough commercial flight test effort that it has ever done.
News of the B777-9 official flight test was first reported by The Air Current on July 12 citing two people familiar with the aircraft program's progress.
The B777-9 is part of the B777X aircraft family, which also includes the B777-8 freighter and the B777-8 passenger aircraft.
The first flight test of the B777-9 was done in January 2020 but Covid-19 pandemic and additional regulatory requirements have delayed the flight certification process which led to delivery setback to airline customers.
Boeing has over 480 B777X aircraft order from airline customers globally including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.
The B777-9 test fleet has over 1200 flights and 3500 flight hours across various climate conditions and has visited 17 U.S. states and seven countries.
With the discontinuation of Airbus A380, the B777-9 is now the largest widebody commercial aircraft in the world.