OR Boeing suspended test flights of the new 777X after finding a defect in a component connecting the engine to the aircraft wing.

It is a new source of concern for the aerospace company, which has been hit by a series of similar incidents, some of them fatal, in recent years.

“During a maintenance operation, we found that one component it did not behave as intended,” the company explained to AFP yesterday, confirming information published on The Air Current website.

Boeing teams are studying this item “and will resume test flights when ready,” according to the company.

Where is the problem located?

The 777X program was introduced in November 2013 and is the last of the 777 family. It comes in three versions, the 777-8, 777-9 and 777-8 cargo.

The defective part, which will be replaced, according to Boeing, concerns the model 777-9 and connects the engine to the airframe.

The three other 777-9s used in the tests are being inspected after the incident.

More than 500 aircraft have been sold, but its commercial operation has not yet begun.

Constant delays and traffic problems

The 777X – which is meant to be the largest twin-engine aircraft in operation in the world – it was supposed to enter service in 2020, but, due to the emergence of a number of problems during the certification process, this was postponed to 2025.

The aircraft has yet to receive the green light from the US civil aviation regulator, the FAA.

After conducting a number of test flights, Boeing received the license on July to begin test flights of the 777-9 with FAA representatives on board. The event was considered an important step in the licensing process.

Boeing’s new chief, Kelly Ortberg, 64, succeeded Dave Calhoun, who had held the position since early 2020, on Aug. 8. His departure was announced at the end of March after a slew of production quality problems emerged.

Kelly Ortberg admitted that much needs to be done to restore confidence in the aerospace giant. However, he said he was optimistic about the future.

In the second quarter of the year, Boeing posted a net loss of $1.44 billion, higher than analysts’ forecasts, due to a drop in deliveries in the commercial aviation sector and the loss of contracts in the defense sector.

The company has since announced an increase in orders.

Boeing announced 72 orders in July, including 57 for 737 MAX jets, in the wake of the UK’s Farnborough Air Show.

Israeli airline El Al has completed an order for 31 737 MAX aircraft, Boeing recently revealed.

The company drastically reduced production after the January 5, 2024 incident on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, when an emergency exit cover detached, leaving a hole in the fuselage in flight and causing injuries.

Then, the FAA, among other things, froze the production of the 737 at the level of the end of 2023, i.e. 38 per month.

On Monday, the FAA also announced that the pilot seats of hundreds of Boeing 787s would have to be inspected, following an incident in March on a Chilean airline Latam flight, during which the plane suddenly lost altitude, injuring dozens of passengers.