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Boeing Secures FAA Clearance as 777-9 Variant Makes First Flight in Five Years

FAA’s authorization for system demonstrations signals the start of the 777-9’s final certification phase following its first new test flight in five years.

Boeing's fifth 777-9X takes off from Paine Field in Washington state. (Photo: Marian Lockhart/Boeing)
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Overview

  • The new 777-9 flew on August 5 from Paine Field, logging a 2-hour, 27-minute profile that reached 39,000 feet and validated airspeed performance at 511 knots.
  • Captain Ted Grady and project pilot Mark Brown led the sortie alongside systems operators and flight analysts to assess handling and systems integration.
  • FAA’s Type Inspection Authorization 2C clearance greenlights focused system-level demonstrations as the fourth phase of the 777X certification process.
  • Boeing’s 777-9 test fleet has amassed over 4,000 hours of flight testing to date, covering performance validation, avionics checks and electromagnetic resilience trials.
  • With more than 550 orders from carriers including Emirates and Lufthansa, Boeing remains on track to deliver its first production 777-9 in 2026.