Boeing Grounds 777X Fleet After Structural Damage Found

Boeing has paused flight tests for its 777X aircraft after discovering structural damage during scheduled maintenance. The company found issues with a custom part between the engine and the aircraft’s structure, prompting it to ground its four 777X test planes.

Boeing stated it is replacing the damaged component and will resume flight testing once the issue is resolved. The company has notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its 481 customers about the situation.

It remains unclear if this delay will affect the certification and delivery schedule for the 777X, which is already about five years behind its original 2020 delivery target. Boeing had only recently begun flight tests with the FAA in July.

The grounding of the 777X test fleet comes as Boeing, under new CEO Kelly Ortberg, seeks to recover from previous safety issues, including a recent door plug blowout incident.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, cnbc.com