Boeing’s challenge with their new 787 was to make the next general of airplanes. Recognizing that air travel will only expand in future years, its goal was to make a model capable of carrying more people further on less fuel. To that end, the plane was built using state-of-the-art lightweight but strong composite materials, and created an innovative computer navigation system. A multibillion dollar gamble the Boeing was convinced would pay off.

On this day, August 26, in 2011, Boeing came one step closer to putting its fabled 787 Dreamliner in the skies with a certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), meaning the plane was in full compliance with all federal regulations.

Not everything went smoothly with the plane’s development. Because the production of different parts was outsourced to different suppliers, the company faced occasional shortages. Those were compounded by several design flaws, most notably in how the wings joined the fuselage. An early test flight caught fire. But wrinkles were mostly smoothed out, and Japan was the first country to place an order for one. List price for the 787 — a cool $185 million.