(Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has told Boeing Co that its planned 777X is not yet ready for a significant certification step and warned it “realistically” will not certify the airplane until mid- to late 2023.
The FAA in a May 13 letter to Boeing seen by Reuters cited a number of issues in rejecting a request by the manufacturer to issue a Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) Readiness. “The aircraft is not yet ready for TIA,” the FAA wrote. The letter cites numerous concerns about lack of data and the lack of a preliminary safety assessment for the FAA to review. The letter was reported earlier by the Seattle Times.
Boeing did not immediately comment.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
