Boeing’s new 777X airplane will be sent to Dubai-based Emirates to perform proving runs next year. The news comes as the aircraft manufacturer and General Electric (GE), the engine provider, jointly agreed to allow Emirates to conduct the integral part of the 777X program's advancement.

The airline, one of two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, is Boeing’s largest customer for the new widebody jet, with more than 100 aircraft on order. Next year’s proving tests will mark nearly five years since the airline initially expected delivery of the plane, which has evidently experienced several delays.

Proving runs, finally

Leeham News and Analysis (LNA) first reported the development at a Boeing event related to the Paris Airshow on Sunday, confirming the 777-9 variant is set to be sent to Dubai in 2024 for about two months of proving flights.

 Photo: Boeing

The 777X program launched in 2013 with Emirates, Lufthansa Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways as launch customers. Since the program has numerous technical and regulatory delays, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark has been skeptical of the program and its pace.

The source of the delay

According to LNA, the aircraft was supposed to be delivered to the airline as early as December 2019, but now Boeing predicts delivery of the first aircraft will not occur until 2025. Clark has patiently awaited the certification of the new plane, although a problem related to the aircraft’s GE9X engines paused the program late last year.

The engine issues caused one test model to be grounded for nearly half a year. N779XX, the second test aircraft, returned to the skies to perform test flights in January after not being flown since August 2022. Sister test model, N779XW, was also grounded, but for a shorter duration due to engine concerns. That aircraft resumed test flights in December 2022. The engine problems, however, stemmed from technical issues that occurred early in the program, which prompted Boeing to send the engines back to GE for repairs and analysis.

A lengthy certification

The program’s certification ultimately got buried in the certification process of the 737 MAX program after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 grounded 737 MAXs globally for more than 20 months. With the investigation into the crashes, regulators determined that Boeing essentially surpassed the MAX program’s certification and misled the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As a result, the agency became more strict with the manufacturer and its recertification of the MAX and future program certifications.

While 777X flight testing was occurring simultaneously, the FAA demanded Boeing to conduct a complete review of the work already done on the aircraft, which delayed the program further, according to LNA. Simple Flying reached out to Boeing for comment on Sunday, but a representative could not be immediately reached.

Photo: Boeing

Clark has shared his frustration with the lengthy certification process. Amidst the delay, Emirates previously indicated that it planned to keep older and less efficient Airbus A380s to maintain its operation and capacity. Clark, concerned the delivery timeline could slip into 2026, additionally canceled more than 35 orders of the jet, according to LNA.

Source: Leeham News and Analysis