According to Aviation Week, Boeing will soon resume flight certification tests of the 777X. The certification process for the Boeing 777X was temporarily suspended five months ago after cracks were found in the engine mounts of four test aircraft after they began flight tests. After the problematic components were replaced on all four test aircraft, flight tests are expected to resume in January of this year. At the time the problem was detected on one of the four test aircraft, which is the first to return to flight testing, the aircraft was in Kona, Hawaii, to test and evaluate the flight load, powerplant performance, avionics and GE Aerospace’s GE9X engine. The aircraft has been in Seattle since then.
The return to flight tests marks a significant step in demonstrating the aircraft’s readiness for certification after a months-long suspension of the program, and will certainly be closely monitored. Boeing, according to Aviation Week, refuses to comment on the upcoming flights.
A delay in the certification process, caused by a perceived mechanical failure and a strike by Boeing workers in 2024, further extended the delivery of the first 777X aircraft into 2026.