Boeing Makes A 777X Annoucement

Boeing has achieved a key milestone with the FAA and EASA initial qualification for its 777-9 flight training simulators.

The key qualification sees the planemaker advance its pathway to eventual certification and entry into service after years of delays and customer patience wearing thin.

Boeing remains hopeful that it will secure certification for the 777X sometime in 2026, as Darren Hulst, the planemaker’s Vice President of Commercial Marketing, reaffirmed. These steps certainly signify the progress being made behind the scenes.

FAA & EASA Qualify The 777X Training Simulator

The qualification came on February 19, 2026, when Boeing announced that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued the neccesary and initial qualification certificates for the flight training simulators on the 777-9.

This comes at Boeing’s Gatwick training campus in the United Kingdom. Developed with the CAE, these include a full-flight simulator and a flight training device that can replicate the advanced systems across the 777X.

Captain Gary Mandy, the Chief Technical Pilot of the 777X, said that securing these approvals is a crucial step in the right direction as the planemaker pushes for certification in the short term rather than the long term, following many delays.

Boeing 777-9 Simulators Prepare Pilots

The simulators feature the newest flight deck on the 777-9, including large-format touchscreen displays, an optimal heads-up display like the 787, redesigned ergonomic pilot seats, a dedicated folding wingtip indicator, and additional capabilities.

These tools, when made available, not only ensure compatibility with the older 777s, which will soon be departing airline fleets, but also with next-generation aircraft such as the 787, a leader in its class, and will be complemented by the 777X.

The qualification is the result of years of effort between CAE and leading experts at the American planemaker, and the approval demonstrates continued strong collaboration to deliver flight simulators to customers around the world.

Boeing says that, following qualification, the training devices will be used by regulatory authorities to validate and approve the training software before customers commence their own pilot training.

Boeing 777-9 Status Amid Delays

Boeing’s 777-9, the first-to-market member of the 777X, remains uncertified; its approval is critical not just for the birth of this variant but for the broader family, which can only progress when this unit is approved.

The aircraft thus far remains in flight testing phases, with plans for the first production model’s first flight in April 2026, targeted as part of efforts to ramp up the certification process and secure approval later this year, with first delivery likely in 2027 alongside an Entry into Service (EIS).

Much uncertainty has plagued the 777X program over the last half-decade, with several deadlines already missed. A 2027 EIS would represent a seven-year delay if held to, and with that, billions in charges, frustrations, and brand damage.