Major Boeing 777X Update

American planemaker Boeing is poised to begin flying its 777X again after a lengthy hiatus.

Reported by Jon Ostrower, of award-winning and reputable trade publication The Air Current, confirmed the news, citing people familiar with the matter.

In what would be a landmark occasion for the program 777-9, the unit registered as N2007L, destined for delivery to Singapore Airlines, has been given the role of high-intensity radiated field testing or HIRF.

Considered to be another important part of the certification process, the HIRF plays a role in ensuring that even with electromagnetic radiation, the systems aboard the aircraft remain in working order.

With certification expected to be achieved in 2026, a return to the skies for this model is an essential step in the right direction and welcomed news for airline customers awaiting the delivery of the next-generation long-haul jet.

Progress On The 777X Certification

Ostrower’s reporting of the 777-9s return to the skies also follows previous reporting in July that progress on the certification of the jet was moving ahead at a solid rate to ensure timeframes stuck true.

As part of the next phase of certification, the Federal Aviation Administration had given Boeing the all-clear to proceed with system demonstrations, which include the upcoming flight testing.

More importantly, the next step is the fourth of five reported stages in the certification program for the 777X. This flight testing process commenced over a year after getting the relevant clearance.

Boeing, as touched on, is still targeting a 2026 approval date, and for that to occur, it needs to continue progressing as it has with the certification program. These fresh developments are the first positive news the 777X has seen in some time.

What About The Delays?

Unfortunately, the Boeing 777X was meant to enter service many years ago; however, its progress has been delayed repeatedly, impacting its ability to obtain the necessary approval for deliveries to commence.

Even before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted many aircraft programs, there were the beginnings of struggles driven by the GE9X, the engine attached to the jet, encountering problems, being stripped off test aircraft and heading back to GE’s facilities.

Additionally, with the incidents involving the 737 MAX, Boeing’s priorities shifted elsewhere, and the 777X was collateral damage from this, with the certification program ultimately being scrutinised more than expected, and certainly more than ever before.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), tasked with inspecting the jet, had been exposed through investigations of its negligence in the past to allow Boeing to partially certify its jets to ensure they reached the market more quickly.

That has since changed, and the difference has been more than visible with even aircraft over at Airbus, while there has always been oversight in the approval of new jets, recent findings have meant the ease with which these planes get approved is not what it once was.

Boeing, after this, continued to push back the certification estimates of the 777X, too many times to count. As a result, for a period, it did not publicly state when approval was to be expected, as dictated by airlines that chose to speak publicly.

Emirates, a leading customer of the series, forecasts the first delivery of the 777X sometime in 2027, aligning with other global airlines, but also has publicly stated that it could even see the delivery slip into 2028, if that’s to be the case, it represents an eight-year delay.