Here we go again: 'Grounded' has become a nightmare for Boeing. The entire fleet of B777-9s that are carrying out official tests have been grounded. The decision was taken by the FAA after some fractures were identified by its inspectors at the end of a flight that one of the 777s had carried out last Friday between Everett, in the State of Washington where the American manufacturer is historically based, and Kona, on Big Island of Hawaii.
A flight of around 5 and a half hours: routine, for a "monster" like the latest addition to Boeing, which will be able to fly about fifteen hours non-stop. The fractures were identified on one of the two 'pylons' that support the engine of the 777-9, the General Electric GE9X, the largest and heaviest ever mounted on a commercial aircraft. Furthermore, as reported by the two websites The Current and View from the Wing, undescribed 'problems' were found on the engine supports of two further 777-9s.
It is the latest in a long line of quality control problems for the troubled US aerospace giant. The title yesterday on Wall Street it lost about 5%. The stock is down 31% this year.
“During scheduled maintenance we identified a component that was not functioning as expected,” Boeing said. “Our team is replacing the part and taking any learning from the component – it will resume flight testing when ready,” he added, confirming an earlier report from specialist website The Air Current.
Delayed deliveries
Hopes of seeing the first delivery of the airplane by the end of 2025 are dwindling. The problem marks the latest setback in Boeing's effort to certify its largest airliner, which is already about five years behind schedule, after the company finally began testing flight with US regulators on board in July. The company has been in crisis since the mid-air explosion of one of its jets earlier this year cast a spotlight on its production and safety. Problems and accidents have affected, in recent years, the 737 MAX and the 787. Also the top management of the company have been changed, even in the face of heavy losses. “The grounding could push delivery expectations for the 777X, and potentially to 2026,” Ken Herbert, an analyst at RBC Capital, said in a note.
