Boeing (BA.US) has paused flight testing of the 777X after a problem occurred during its first test flight.
1min read On August 19, Boeing (BA.US) discovered a crack in the structure of its 777X jet during its first test flight. The company said it would ground its test fleet, replace faulty parts and find the cause.
The part is an engine-to-airframe structure, which Boeing said it had notified federal regulators and customers. The company has 540 new aircraft orders and plans to start delivering in 2025. It is not clear whether the issue will affect the delivery date.
The 777X is a highly anticipated new twin-aisle jet from Boeing, with higher fuel efficiency and more spacious cabins. But the incident has cast a shadow over the future of the aircraft. It is the latest setback for Boeing in certifying its largest jet, which has taken about five years longer than originally planned. Boeing finally began flight testing in July under the auspices of the US regulator, a key milestone.
Boeing has been in crisis since an explosion on one of its jets in the air in the early part of this year, raising questions about its manufacturing and safety records.
“A grounding could delay the 777X delivery expectations, and possibly even to 2026,” Ken Herbert, an analyst at Royal Bank of Canada, told clients in a note on Monday. He predicted that the 777X project could face a “lengthy approval process.”
Boeing said it was checking other aircraft in its 777X test fleet for the problem and had no plans to fly them in the near future. GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric, said its GE9X engine had no problems and was the largest and most powerful commercial jet engine ever.
Boeing said it had notified the Federal Aviation Administration and customers about the engine bracket issue, which was designed specifically for the 777-9 variant of the 777X series.
