Boeing announces maiden flight of 777X

The new model 777X of the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been a topic of conversation in the aviation scene for years. In an extensive article, we from WingMag also reported on the successor model of the traditional Boeing 777. After several problems during tests, Boeing finally announced a date for a first test flight: tomorrow, 01/23/2020. Under suitable weather conditions, the 777X is scheduled to take off from Paine Field airport near Seattle at 10 a.m. local time to land at Boeing Field, the company’s delivery center, after a five-hour flight.

This test flight is of utmost importance for the planned delivery in 2021, but it seems that problems might occur again. According to a local source, an announced taxi test of the plane was cancelled again yesterday afternoon at Paine Field. About possible reasons for this can only be speculated, but due to weather reports it rained slightly when the engines of the plane were already running. After the more than bumpy prehistory of the 777X, even such small news reports unfortunately cause more concern than usual. 

Our team will, therefore, keep a watchful eye on Seattle in the next hours and days and report any news. Of course, we wish the 777X that the discontinuation of this test will not have any great consequences. With a successful maiden flight, Boeing would set an important signal in the competition with Airbus and its “pendant model” A350. 

Picture © Boeing

by Johanna Koyser