Boeing Co. was informed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that the 777X it is currently developing is not ready for significant certification and that it will not be certifying the aircraft until mid to late 2023.In a May 13 letter sent to Boeing, Reuters saw that the FAA cited a variety of issues in declining to issue a Type Inspection Authorization. According to the FAA, the aircraft is not ready for TIA and it declined to approve a limited-scope TIA with a few flight test plans.The FAA was not notified of the letter before it was made public. It raised concerns about the lack of data and lack of a preliminary safety evaluation.According to Sunday's statement, the FAA won't approve any aircraft that doesn't meet our safety and certification standards.Boeing has been working on the widebody jet since 2013, a new version for its 777 plane. It is expected to be released in 2020.Boeing spokeswoman on Sunday stated that safety remains the top priority of the company throughout 777X development. We are putting the plane through extensive testing to prove its safety and reliability. To ensure that we meet all requirements, we have a rigorous development process.Since software problems in two Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts led to fatal crashes, the 777X will become the first major jet certified. This follows accusations of close ties between the FAA and the company.European regulators stated in particular that they will be examining the 777X more closely after the fatal crashes that prompted the 20 month grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX.In 2018, and 2019, 346 people were killed in the MAX crashes in Indonesia, Ethiopia and Kenya.The FAA acknowledges the need to address a variety of issues, including a major software update for flight control software. The FAA also understands that the software load will contain significant problem report items, such as the fix for the pitch uncommanded event on December 8, 2020.According to the agency, the date of software load is constantly shifting and that the FAA requires better visibility into the reasons for delays.The FAA stated that it is still investigating how Boeing will implement all corrective actions resulting from the root cause investigation.According to the agency, Boeing should implement a robust process that prevents similar escapes in the future. This is not a systemic problem.In a letter, the FAA stated that certification for the 777X was realistically going to take place in mid- to late 2023 (>2 year from now).Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun stated earlier this month that he is still optimistic that it will be certified by the fourth quarter 2023.Seattle Times reported the letter earlier.(Reporting by David Shepardson. Editing by Lisa Shumaker. Nick Zieminski. Daniel Wallis.David Shepardson, Reuters writer, was granted a legal license through Industry Dive's publisher network. All licensing inquiries should be directed to legal@industrydive.com
