“During a maintenance operation, we found that a component was not performing as expected,” Boeing told AFP, confirming a report by specialist website The Air Current.
According to the company, Boeing teams are currently working on this component. Test flights are planned to resume later.
The problematic part, which Boeing said will be replaced, involves a 777-9 model and ties the engine to the aircraft’s structure. Three other 777-9s used for testing are also being inspected, according to the planemaker.
Unveiled in November 2013, the 777X is the latest member of the 777 family of wide-body programs. More than 500 of the aircraft have been sold so far, but have not yet entered commercial service, coming in three models: the 777-8, 777-9 and 777-8 Freighter. The twin-aisle aircraft is intended to be the world’s largest twin-engine jet in operation.
It will be put into service in 2025
The 777X was originally scheduled to enter service in 2020, but due to issues with the certification process, this date has been pushed back to 2025. The 777X still hasn’t received the green light from the US civil aviation regulator (FAA)!
Boeing, which has conducted numerous test flights, received permission to begin testing the 777-9 with FAA representatives in July, marking an important step.
Boeing’s new president, Kelly Ortberg, 64, took over from Dave Calhoun, who had been on the job since the beginning of 2020 and was announced to be leaving at the end of March following a series of quality problems in production, on August 8.
Kelly Ortberg acknowledged there was “a lot” to be done to restore trust in the aircraft manufacturer and sounded optimistic about the future.
Ortberg chose to settle in Seattle, home of Boeing’s 737 and 777 assembly lines, as a “step in the right direction,” according to the IAM-District 751 union, which represents more than 30,000 workers in the region.
