HIGH winds forced Boeing to again delay the inaugural flight of its long-haul 777X aircraft yesterday.

“We’ll try again tomorrow,” the company said on Twitter, aiming for a 10am (1800 GMT) flight from the airfield in Everett, Washington, near its headquarters.

“Wind levels prevented us from flying today. We will continue to provide updates on our website and through social media.”

The new aircraft, in the firm’s blue and white, remains on the tarmac of Boeing Field in the suburbs of Seattle, where winds were blowing hard enough to shake the camera in place to document the flight live on social media.

This first flight – the start of a whole battery of tests – had been scheduled for Thursday, but was pushed back due to poor weather, common in the region in winter.

The 777X was originally due to take to the skies for the first time in the middle of last year, but it was postponed due to problems with the plane’s new engine, manufactured by General Electric, and difficulties with the wings and software.

If the test flights go well, Boeing will officially file for approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

As Boeing faces the crisis over its top-selling 737 MAX following two deadly crashes, the 777X is supposed to compete in the market for long-haul aircraft with the A350 made by rival European manufacturer Airbus.

The 777X, which can carry 384 to 426 passengers, has orders for 340, mainly from seven major airlines, including Emirates, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

The first deliveries of the new model are not expected before early next year, instead of mid-2020 as initially planned, because the period of test flights should be extended and the approval procedure deepened.

The aircraft encountered significant problems during pressurisation tests last September.

Boeing’s position in this segment has been weakened due to a lack of firm orders from China for its 787 Dreamliner, which is expected to see production cuts. – AFP, January 25, 2020.