Boeing Grounds 777X Test Fleet Over Damage In Structure

(RTTNews) - Boeing Co. has paused flight tests for its new 777X jetliner and grounded the four-aircraft test fleet after finding damage in the engine-related structural component of one of the wide-body jetliners, reports said.

The decision was made after the aerospace and defence major, during routine maintenance following a test flight, identified a severed thrust link on a 777-9. The damage was found to the custom part, between the General Electric Co. engine and the airplane structure.

In pre-market activity on the NYSE, Boeing shares were losing around 2 percent to trade at $176.78.

Boeing reportedly said the component didn't perform as designed, and that it pans to replace the engine mount.

Boeing said, "Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready."

The planemaker said it has informed the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA and its around 481 customers who have ordered the 777X.

The news come as the deliveries of the wide-body jets are scheduled to start in 2025. Boeing, which originally had planned to start deliveries of the flights in 2020, began flight tests with the FAA in July this year.

The latest issue is a major hit to the planemaker, which has been under severe scrutiny for the past few years amid safety concerns.

In April, the FAA announced an investigation into the emergency landing by Southwest Airlines' Boeing 737-800 flight after its engine cover fell off and struck the wing flap during take-off.

Earlier, in January, a mid-cabin door plug on Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737-9 MAX airplane blew out in the middle of the flight.

Following the Alaska incident, the FAA grounded around 171 737 MAX 9 airplanes for inspections for several weeks, and also started a probe into Boeing's manufacturing practices and production lines, including those involving subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems. The Justice Department had also initiated a criminal investigation into the MAX 9 incident.

In early March, the FAA announced that its production audit of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems identified multiple quality control lapses, and halted production expansion of the Boeing 737 MAX.

Earlier, in March 2019, 737 MAX, which was then the world's biggest-selling aircraft, was grounded worldwide following two crashes within just six months, which together claimed 346 lives.

Amid the ongoing safety issues, Boeing in late July appointed Robert "Kelly" Ortberg as its new president and chief executive officer, succeeding Dave Calhoun, who in March announced his intention to retire after being in the lead role during the tumultus years of Boeing.