By Chandni Shah and Devika Madhusudhanan Nair
(Reuters) – Boeing has begun certification flight testing 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 made its first flight on Friday night after receiving the Type Inspection Authorization (TIA).
The development is a boost for Boeing (NYSE:), which has been grappling with production and legal issues since the mid-flight panel explosion of a 737 MAX jet on Jan. 5.
The news was first reported by Air Current.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), while declining to comment on specific certification projects, said: “Typically, this type of exhaustive process takes many months.”
The 777-9 is part of the 777X project, which aims to modernize the 777 widebody aircraft. The project has been in development since 2013, but has faced multiple delays, including delays in certification.
Type inspection clearance is typically associated with the start of the certification process, which occurs after the FAA has reviewed the technical data. This milestone allows FAA pilots to participate in the flight tests required to certify the aircraft for normal operation.
The chairman of Emirates, the plane's biggest customer, said in May that he did not expect certification before the first quarter of 2025.
Boeing has said the 777-9 test fleet will undergo the most extensive commercial flight testing effort the planemaker has ever undertaken.
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