Boeing didn’t bring its prototype 777x to the Farnsborough Air Show this week, but it did bring good news about it, both for Boeing and the customers who’ve been waiting years it to be ready for commercial service.
After several years of delays, the FAA has given Boeing the go-ahead for the final stage of certification tests for the large two-aisle airliner which has hundreds of orders but no deliveries, which has impacted on future orders, although Korean Air has just put in a new order for 20 of the jets.
This stage of tests involves FAA pilots and engineers being on hand along with Boeing’s crew and putting it through a series of maneuvers far beyond what a commercial jet encounters in service. The tests, which must involve at least four planes and a series of tests over the next 18 months, could see the plane finally in service by early 2026.
Meanwhile, Boom Supersonic, which is plugging away at its project of creating a new supersonic airliner and an engine for it, says it has made serious progress on its engine project. The company, which has orders and options from a number of major airlines, says it is only 18 months away from a full-scale engine test. The company has flown a scaled down version of the plane and is now building its first full-scale prototype.
