On Tuesday, Boeing announced that it had temporarily halted the test flights of the 777-9, a large aircraft that has faced delays in its development due to years of setbacks. The pause was initiated following the discovery of issues with a critical component.
The issue was identified in a structural part of the engine housing during routine maintenance on one of the four test aircraft. It is noteworthy that the other three aircraft, which were not scheduled for flights, did not encounter the same problem. Each engine incorporates a duplicate version of the component, specifically designed for the 777-9 model, as per Boeing's statement.
The company is in the process of replacing the faulty component and is conducting investigations on each affected aircraft. Boeing has stated that it intends to resume flight testing once the necessary adjustments have been made.
This halt represents the latest setback in the development of the 777X series of aircraft, with the 777-9 being the first model in the series.
Boeing initiated the first flight of the 777-9 in January 2020, with an expectation of beginning deliveries the following year.
The 777-9 is a spacious, twin-aisle aircraft designed for long-haul, international flights, capable of accommodating up to 426 passengers over distances exceeding 7,200 nautical miles.
In the future, Boeing plans to introduce a slightly smaller version of the aircraft, the 777-8, designed for extended range capabilities, and a cargo variant, the 777-8 Freighter.
The duration of the pause in test flights and the potential delay in the first delivery of the 777-9 have not been disclosed by Boeing. The company has informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about the issue, with a commitment to provide regular updates on the progress of the investigation. The decision to halt flights was reported by The Air Current, an aviation news outlet.
Boeing commenced flight tests for FAA certification in July, although it had been conducting independent tests on the aircraft for an extended period. As of the end of last month, the test fleet had completed over 1,300 flights across various regions and conditions, as reported by Dave Calhoun, Boeing's former CEO, during a call with investor analysts.
Calhoun has since stepped down from his position, with Kelly Ortberg, a former CEO of Rockwell Collins, taking over. Ortberg succeeds a time of significant challenges for Boeing, including a critical incident in January involving a Boeing 737 Max that experienced an engine failure during a flight with Alaska Airlines. Although there were no serious injuries, this incident, along with two other fatal crashes of the 737 Max model five years prior, has impacted Boeing's production and widened the gap between the company and its main competitor, Airbus.
