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Testing and ETOPS Certification Considerations

High Reliability and Quality

New design and testing initiatives helped ensure the highest possible levels of reliability on the very first 777, compared to what had been possible on previous jetliner introductions.

Standard certification flight tests are supplemented with 1,000 flight cycles on each airframe/engine combination to demonstrate reliability in simulated airline operating environments. The 1,000-cycle flight tests for the Pratt & Whitney engine were completed on May 22, 1995. The British Airways/General Electric and Cathay Pacific/Rolls Royce airframe/engine combinations are currently conducting 1,000-cycle tests. In addition, engine makers and the many suppliers of parts for the airplane intensified their own development and testing efforts to ensure that their products meet airline requirements.

This thorough test program demonstrated the design features needed to obtain approval for extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS). All 777s are ETOPS-capable, as part of the basic design. To ensure reliability, the 777 with Pratt & Whitney engines was tested and flown under all appropriate conditions to prove it is capable of flying up to 180-minute ETOPS missions. On May 30, 1995, the 777 became the first airplane in aviation history to earn Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly ETOPS at service entry.

Boeing 777 Earns ETOPS Approval - Boeing News Release (May 30, 1995)

Boeing 777 Safety Tests Questioned - Seattle (AP) Jan. 19, 1996