Earlier this year, Boeing was forced to halt the testing of its newest widebody jet, the 777-9X, due to an unspecified issue with its engines, the GE9X. However, Boeing has confirmed that it has resumed the testing of its 777-9X. In fact, flight tracker FlightAware was able to track one of the test aircraft which went airborne on December 17.
In a report from FlightGlobal, Boeing can not disclose when testing commenced, however FlightAware’s flight tracking website says that Boeing’s first flight-test 777-9, N779XW, took to the skies on December 17.
According to FlightAware, the plane took off from Seattle’s Boeing Field, flew east into Montana, and then returned to Boeing Field, landing around 1 hour 40 minutes later.
On the 19th of December, the aircraft conducted a similar trip.
Prior to those flights, none of Boeing’s four 777-9 flight-test aircraft had flown in months, and according to aircraft monitoring services, the company’s three additional 777-9 test aircraft have yet to return to the sky.
The plane may enter commercial service in 2025 yet
Boeing anticipates delivering the first 777-9X to a customer in 2025. There are a total of 341 777X orders from various clients and variations. With 115 planes on order, Emirates is the 777X’s largest client so far. Qatar Airways comes in second with 74 aircraft.
When it enters service, the 777-9X will be the world’s longest commercial airplane. The aircraft may be configured with 414 to 426 seats in a two-class configuration.
The 777-9X has a range of 13,500 kilometers, whereas the 777-8X has a range of 16,170 kilometers. The GE9X turbofan engine powers both models.
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