Boeing 777X to Perform First Flight on January 23

Subject to weather conditions and other factors, Boeing says that the 777X will perform its first flight on January 23.

Photo by Boeing.

The aircraft is expected to takeoff at about 10AM Pacific time and will stay in the air for about three to five hours.

Originally, the Boeing 777X was to take to the skies for the first time last summer, however engine issues prompted a delay.

If all goes to plan, deliveries are expected to commence in early 2021, significantly later than the timeframe estimated before the first flight date was delayed.

The Boeing 777X currently has 309 firm orders from 8 customers including All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.

The Boeing 777X is mainly competing against Airbus’ A350-1000 offering which is already in service. Boeing’s model is taking significantly longer to get off the ground. Boeing says that the 777X offers 5% better aerodynamics in comparison to the A350-1000.

Other improvements on the aircraft’s efficiency include 10% better fuel efficiency and than the competition as well as 10% better operating economics. Among other things, the aircraft offers unrivalled network growth opportunities, according to Boeing.