by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:40 AM ET, Thu March 19, 2026
Boeing has announced that its massively delayed Boeing 777-9 jet, which will be the American aircraft manufacturer’s newest widebody long-haul aircraft, has received regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its fourth phase of certification testing.
TravelPulse contacted Boeing and the FAA for comment on the news. The FAA declined to comment, saying the administration does not comment on pending certification projects. We have not heard back from Boeing.
A company memo Reuters had access to said the first flight of the Boeing 777-9 jet was planned for April, with delivery slated for next year. The Boeing 777-9 is the first iteration in the company’s new Boeing 777X jet series, which is currently six years behind schedule and has taken $15 billion in charges.
Boeing CFO Jay Malave mentioned on Tuesday this week at an investor conference that they had received approval for the third stage of testing: “There are two more that we need to get approval for, and we’re waiting for the next one very shortly here.”
While the aircraft manufacturer remains massively behind schedule for production, it’s garnered some attention for taking in multi-billion-dollar deals with airlines Emirates, Korean Air and Qatar Airways for new planes, some of which include the new 777X line.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
