SEATTLE- The US aerospace giant, Boeing has initiated the formal trial flights with the America’s Aviation Authority, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to obtain the type certification for its 777X (777-9) aircraft, The Air Current (TAC) reported today (July 13, 2024).
During the flight testing face, the FAA will evaluate each and everything including design aspects, performance, endurance, and more. These processes and trials are documented to check the capability of aircraft and is it meets the regulatory standards set by the authority.
Boeing Trials 777X Certification Flights
Currently, there are four production 777X (777-9) aircraft. Out of these four, three are actively performing flights. The registration and other details as reported by Planspotters.net are as follows:
- N779XW– The first aircraft, rolled out in March 2019
- N779XX, Active since April 2020
- N779XY, Active since Aug 2020
- N779XZ and it’s active since Sep 2020
Apart from this, there are many 777-9 in production and some even got the test and country registration for its initial customers. This includes Emirates (EK), Lufthansa (LH), All Nippon Airways (NH), Qatar Airways (QR), and Singapore Airlines (SQ).
The project which has been in development since 2013 has faced significant delays due to various reasons.
Even, Emirates Chairman Tim Clark has said that he expects further delays in certification and it will slip to the 2025 end. Some CEOs even said that the launch would be delayed till 2026.
Well, we know that Boeing has been under heavy scrutiny since 2019 firstly due to the 737 MAX crash, then due to Alaska Airlines (AS) flight door blowout incident, and recently due to whistleblowers revealing discrepancies in the manufacturing process.
Even Dave Calhoun has failed to give a clear statement during a recent meeting with the senator about the whistleblower, production, safety, and quality.
Also Read: Airbus A350-1000 vs Boeing 777X: Which One is Best for Airlines? – Aviation A2Z
New Order in Progress
Boeing is in talks with Korean Air (KE) for around 20-30 777x orders. It is estimated that the value of the order could range from $4 to $6 Billion.
The order is likely to be revealed at one of the biggest aviation events in the world, the Farnborough Airshow, which is scheduled to take place on July 22-26.
Recently, the South Korean carrier has placed a significant order with Airbus for 33 A350 aircraft. It was a surprising move as Korean Air is traditionally the Boeing aircraft operator for long-haul fleets.
Korean Air spokesperson confirmed the 777X order deal with Reuters and said they are in talks but nothing is confirmed yet.
Korean Air is already in the process of getting approvals from various authorities to acquire the majority of stakes in its rival Asiana Airlines (OZ) for around $1.4 billion
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The post Boeing 777X Close to Type Certificate as FAA Begins Trials Flights: TAC appeared first on Aviation A2Z.