Summary
- General Electric (GE) Aerospace has shipped the first production version of the GE9X engine, powering the Boeing 777X, to the aircraft manufacturer.
- Despite several issues, which included delays to the flight testing of the 777X, the FAA certified the GE9X.
- Boeing has begun the Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) process for the 777X, moving closer to certification of the aircraft.
The first production version of the General Electric (GE) Aerospace GE9X engine, which will power the Boeing 777X, was shipped from GE Aerospace’s facilities to the aircraft manufacturer.
Shipping the first production GE9X
According to a statement that GE Aerospace shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the engine has left its testing facilities in Peebles, Ohio, the United States, with a picture showing the powerplant being strapped to a semi-truck.
“Powering the new 777-9, the GE9X is redefining the future of flight through industry leading innovations. Congratulations to all of the teams who have made this moment possible.”
Per GE Aerospace, the GE9X is the largest and most powerful commercial aircraft engine that was ever built, with a world record 134,300 pounds of thrust to power the 777X. The company learned lessons from the GE90, powering the previous-generation 777, exclusively powering the 777-200LR, 777-300ER, and 777F, and the GEnx, one of the two options for the 787 aircraft families.
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Despite being larger and more capable, the GE9X is rated at a lower thrust than its predecessor, GE90.
Testing issues
However, GE Aerospace and Boeing had run into issues when testing the engine. In November 2022, 777X flight testing stopped after the former company found a problem following a boroscope inspection on a GE9X that was used for flight test.
In a joint decision, the companies removed the engine and sent it to GE Aerospace’s facilities in Peebles, Ohio, the US, for further tests. Test runs resulted in a temperature alert, which prompted a halt to the flight testing at the time.
In late December, Boeing resumed flight tests of the 777X, with the test aircraft, registered as N779XW, returning to the skies on December 17, 2022.
Photo: Aerospace Trek | Shutterstock
That was not the only problem that had affected the engine. In June 2019, GE Aerospace stated that a durability issue forced the company to stop certification testing of the powerplant, which also impacted the first flight of the 777X.
The 777X eventually took off on its first flight on January 25, 2020, but several Boeing-related problems followed, delaying the type’s entry-into-service (EIS) date by several years.
During the company’s latest earnings call in April, David Calhoun, the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Boeing, stated that the company still believed the 777X would begin flying commercially in 2025.
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Despite significant delays to the 777X, Singapore Airlines still expects to receive the aircraft in late 2025.
Beginning certification flights
On July 12, Boeing officially began flight tests of the 777X with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), beginning the process known as ‘Type Inspection Authorization (TIA),’ according to a report by The Air Current.
Photo: BlueBarronPhoto | Shutterstock
According to a form presented by the FAA, TIA was used to authorize official conformity, airworthiness inspections, and flight tests necessary to fulfill certain requirements for the certification of an aircraft.
“The TIA is issued when the examination of the technical data required for type certification is completed or has reached a point where it appears that the aircraft or component being examined will meet the applicable regulations.”
Whether this will have an impact on the 777X’s EIS timeline outlined by Boeing remained unclear. Airline executives have sent mixed signals when it comes to the delivery date of the aircraft.
While Singapore Airlines expressed hopes that Boeing would deliver its first 777X in late 2025, Emirates and Lufthansa were more skeptical about that timeline, which included the latter’s CEO saying that deliveries in 2025 were unlikely.
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This would mean that Boeing would deliver the first 777X six years after the initially planned delivery date.