Boeing begins 777X flight tests with FAA in breakthrough

Boeing has started conducting flight trials of its 777-9 aircraft with US regulators on board, achieving a milestone toward certifying its jumbo airliner after years of setbacks. The company announced that it took the initial test flight late Friday with FAA personnel. Achieving so-called Type Inspection Authorization marks the start of certification flight testing, a key step in one of the most extensive commercial test efforts that Boeing has ever undertaken. Regulators are putting the 777X test aircraft through a rigorous evaluation at a time when the US planemaker is engulfed in crisis, with its manufacturing and engineering prowess called into question following a January accident involving the smaller 737 Max. While the 777X family is already five years behind schedule, clearing the first jet to enter the commercial market would mollify angry customers and help stem Boeing’s financial losses. “The certification flight test will continue validating the airplane’s safety, reliability and performance,” Boeing said in an emailed statement. “We appreciate our regulator’s rigorous oversight.” While Boeing said it has already spent time preparing for the items on FAA’s flying exam, it’s too soon to know if the plane will be ready for customers by next year, as executives have predicted. The FAA declined to comment on the certification effort, but noted that “safety always drives the timeline.” “Generally this kind of thorough process takes many months,” the regulator said in an emailed statement. The accomplishment, which was first reported by the Air Current, is rare good news. Boeing has logged around 480 orders for the 777-9, and two other planned models: the smaller 777-8 passenger jet and a freight-hauler. The aircraft, the largest twin-engine planes ever built, feature wings so long that the tips are hinged to flip upward while they taxi around airport gates.<br/>