Caixin News Agency, July 15th (Editor Malan) The continuous malfunctions of the 737 series aircraft have caused Boeing unprecedented business setbacks, but the company's situation is expected to turn around.
Boeing has recently announced that it has begun collaborating with US aviation regulatory agencies to conduct flight tests on the highly anticipated 777-9 aircraft. The model conducted its first flight on Friday evening after obtaining regulatory Type Inspection Authorization (TIA).
This is considered a crucial step for Boeing to conduct commercial testing on the aircraft, and also a milestone progress for Boeing on the path to certification as a giant airliner after the model was delayed by five years from its original launch date.
Currently, regulatory authorities are reportedly conducting a rigorous evaluation of the 777X model. Since the Boeing 737 Max aircraft accident in January this year, its manufacturing and engineering capabilities have been questioned, which has also affected regulatory authorities' views on the Boeing 777X series aircraft.
However, regardless, the entry of the 777-9 model aircraft into evaluation still represents good news. The entry of this giant twin engine aircraft into the commercial market will comfort increasingly angry customers to some extent and curb Boeing's financial losses.
When will it be delivered?
Although Boeing claims to have made sufficient preparations for this flight test, it is still uncertain whether the aircraft can be launched and delivered in the short term. The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States refused to comment on certification work and emphasized that safety is the key, adding that this process usually takes several months.
The largest customer of the aircraft, Sheikh Ahmed bin Said Al Maktoum, the chairman of Emirates Airlines, had predicted in May that the model would be difficult to obtain certification before the first quarter of 2025, and the company may not receive its first 777-9 aircraft until 2026.
He also complained that due to the delayed delivery of the 777X aircraft, Emirates had to continue using existing planes, and these old planes were supposed to be replaced as planned. He pointed out that Boeing has promised to make every effort to address this issue.
The 777X series is hailed as a top-level product that can replace Boeing's four engine 747 jumbo jet and Airbus A380. It has been under development for over a decade and was originally planned to enter the market in 2020. And its clients include Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa, many of whom have expressed disappointment with delivery delays.
Boeing stated that although the company has just begun flight testing for certification, as part of Boeing's own flight testing program, its 777-9 test fleet has conducted over 1200 flights with a cumulative flight time of approximately 3500 hours.
The 777-9 aircraft is expected to have a range of 13500 kilometers and can carry 426 passengers in a typical two cabin layout. According to Air Current, Boeing has secured orders for approximately 480 777-9 aircraft. In addition, the 777X series also includes smaller but longer range 777-8 passenger and cargo aircraft.