First flight for the Boeing 777X
Taken by @gegaviation on IG
On Wednesday, Lufthansa's first Boeing 777X aircraft was spotted on the Everett flight line at Paine Field for the first time ever! The aircraft is registered D-ABTA and it is the first of 20 aircraft Lufthansa will receive. The airline had plans for 34 of these aircraft but decided to change 14 of these orders in November 2019. Lufthansa were among one of the first airlines, along with Etihad airways, to place an order for the Boeing 777-9 in November, 2013. They are also Boeing's launch customer.
Lufthansa was expected to deliver the first Boeing 777X aircraft this summer. However, this has been decelerated due to delayed testing schedules for the aircraft because of engine troubles. This delay isn't too big of a problem for the time being due to a drop in demand during this pandemic. What's exciting is that, when the aircraft is received by Lufthansa, it will be fitted with their brand new business class concept. The plan is to get the aircraft delivered in early 2021.
Photo by Lufthansa
On the 25th of January, the Boeing 777X completed its maiden flight. This flight was delayed by a day due to weather conditions. This occurred in Everett flight line at Paine Field, the airport in Seattle used for all of Boeing's production facilities. The re-launch of the certificate program then occurred in late April. Flight tests resumed again after a month long suspension due to the manufacturer recalibrating production according to government guidelines.
Before the Coronavirus crisis, the company was already after recalibrating their orders as their growth began a problem. Therefore, if all the airlines that still want all these aircraft it is unknown when they will be delivered. Before the pandemic, Etihad ordered 26 of these aircraft. However, they have decided to cut these orders and only take 6. Emirates are another airline who placed orders for the Boeing 777X. They initially planned to take 150 but reduced this number to 24 in November 2019. Other airlines that have placed orders for the Boeing 777-8 or Boeing 777-9 are ANA, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines. However, there are rumours that Cathay Pacific could be cancelling all these aircraft. This hasn't been confirmed.
It is uncertain if air travel will ever go back to the way it was before. With the retirements of the iconic Boeing 747 and the Airbus A340, many airlines could be looking to replace their fleet if things go back to normal. Nonetheless, it will be very interesting for plane spotters to see these beautiful aircraft with their characteristic wingtips take to the skies!
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