Dhaka, March 21 -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized Boeing to advance its long-delayed 777-9 jetliner into the fourth phase of certification testing, the American aerospace giant announced on Wednesday, March 18.

The clearance came just one day after Boeing CFO Jay Malave disclosed at an investor conference that the aircraft had secured approval for the third stage.

"There are two more that we need to get approval for, and we're waiting for the next one very shortly here," the CFO said.

The 777-9 is the first variant of Boeing's 777X family, a program that has accumulated USD 15 billion in charges and sits six years behind schedule.

The 777X is positioned as the successor to Boeing's iconic 747 and 777 jets. To...