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.