Boeing 777X successfully completes its first test flight

January 27, 2020: The new Boeing 777X jetliner entered the next phase of its test program by taking to the skies. Inspired by 777 and technologies from the 787 Dreamliner, the 777X took off at Paine Field, Everett, Washington and landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field. The flight time was three hour, 51 minutes.

The newest member of Boeing's widebody family, the 777X will operate on 10 percent lower fuel, emissions and operating costs than the competition through advanced aerodynamics, the latest generation carbon-fiber composite wing and the most advanced commercial engine ever built – GE Aviation's GE9X.

With the new 777X combines the passenger-preferred 777 and 787 Dreamliner cabins, passengers will enjoy a wide, spacious cabin, large overhead bins that close easily for convenient access to their belongings, larger windows for a view from every seat, better cabin altitude and humidity, less noise and a smoother ride.

Capt. Chaney and Boeing Chief Pilot Craig Bomben worked through a detailed test plan to exercise the airplane's systems and structures while the test team in Seattle monitored the data in real time.

“Our Boeing team has taken the most successful twin-aisle jet of all time and made it even more efficient, more capable and more comfortable for all,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Today's safe first flight of the 777X is a tribute to the years of hard work and dedication from our teammates, our suppliers and our community partners in Washington state and across the globe.”

The first of four dedicated 777-9 flight test airplanes, WH001 will now undergo checks before resuming testing in the coming days. The test fleet, which began ground testing in Everett last year, will endure a comprehensive series of tests and conditions on the ground and in the air over the coming months to demonstrate the safety and reliability of the design.

Boeing expects to deliver the first 777X in 2021. The programme has won 340 orders and commitments from leading carriers around the world, including ANA, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Since its launch in 2013, the 777X family has outsold the competition nearly 2 to 1.