Boeing suspends 777X test flights after part failure

Boeing has suspended flight tests of its new 777X jumbo jet after finding a part connecting the engine to the body of the aircraft had failed, a new concern for the American planemaker after a series of malfunctions on its planes. “During a maintenance operation, we identified that a component had not behaved as expected,” the planemaker explained to AFP on Tuesday, confirming information from the specialist website The Air Current.

A part that connects the engine to the structure of the aircraft

Boeing teams are currently investigating the component “and will resume test flights when ready,” the company said. The offending part, which Boeing said will be replaced, is on the 777-9 model and connects the engine to the aircraft’s structure. The other three 777-9s that are being used for testing have been undergoing inspections since the incident, the planemaker said. The 777X wide-body program, unveiled in November 2013, is the latest addition to the 777 family. It comes in three versions: the 777-8, 777-9 and 777-8 freighter.

It has already sold more than 500 units but has not yet entered commercial operation. This twin-aisle aircraft is intended to be the largest operational twin-engine jet in the world. The 777X was originally scheduled to enter service in 2020, but due to problems during the certification process, it is now anticipated for 2025. It has still not received the green light from the American civil aviation regulator (FAA).

After having previously carried out numerous test flights, Boeing obtained permission to start testing the 777-9 in July with FAA representatives on board, an important step.

“Much” to be done to restore confidence

Boeing’s new boss, Kelly Ortberg, 64, took over on August 8 from Dave Calhoun, who had been in office since early 2020 and whose departure was announced at the end of March after a series of quality problems in production. Kelly Ortberg acknowledged that there was “a lot” to do to restore confidence in the aircraft manufacturer, but was nevertheless optimistic about the future. He chose to settle in Seattle (northwest), the birthplace of Boeing, where the assembly lines for the 737 and 777 are located – “a step in the right direction” according to the IAM-District 751 union, which represents more than 30,000 employees in the region.

In the second quarter, the aircraft manufacturer reported a net loss of $1.44 billion, wider than analysts had expected, due to lower deliveries in its commercial aircraft division and losses on contracts in its defense division. Since then, however, the company has been able to congratulate itself on the rebound in its orders. Boeing announced in July that it had recorded 72 orders (gross and net), including 57 units of the 737 MAX, its flagship aircraft, in the wake of the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom.

Israeli carrier El Al has finalized an order for up to 31 737 MAX aircraft, Boeing revealed Thursday. The planemaker has significantly reduced its production rate after an in-flight incident on January 5, 2024 on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, when a door plug – a cover blocking a redundant emergency exit – came loose, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage and causing several minor injuries.

The FAA has, among other things, frozen production of the 737 at the end of 2023 level (38 per month). On Monday, the FAA also announced that the pilot seats of hundreds of Boeing 787s would have to be inspected, after an incident in March on a flight of the Chilean airline Latam, during which the plane suddenly lost altitude, injuring around 50 passengers.