Signs outside the Boeing Co. production facility in Renton, Washington, U.S., Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. The acting head of Europe’s aviation authority said Wednesday the agency would halt indirect approval of Boeing’s jet production if warranted, but he said he was reassured the planemaker is addressing its latest safety crisis.
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Boeing has begun certification flight tests of its long-delayed 777-9 with U.S. aviation regulators on board, the U.S. planemaker said in an emailed statement.
The company said it conducted its first flight Friday evening after receiving Type Inspection Authorization (TIA).
The development is a boost for Boeing, which has been struggling with production and legal problems since a Boeing 737 MAX plane crashed in mid-air on January 5.
The news was first reported by Air Current.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside business hours.
The 777-9 is part of the 777X project to upgrade the 777 wide-body jet. The project has been in development since 2013, but has faced multiple delays, including certification delays.
Type inspection authorization is typically associated with the start of the certification process, which occurs after the FAA has reviewed technical data. The milestone allows FAA pilots to participate in flight tests necessary to certify the aircraft for normal operation.
The chairman of Emirates, the plane’s largest customer, said in May he did not expect certification before the first quarter of 2025.
Boeing has said the 777-9 test fleet will undergo the most thorough commercial flight testing the planemaker has ever conducted.