Big Boeing 777X Change Confirmed

Boeing is progressing with efforts to certify the upcoming 777X, addressing an issue with an existing design.

For the American planemaker, Aviation Week reported at the end of May that the 777X program had finally received a necessary fix to a crucial issue that had been plaguing progress for some time.

The program, which has encountered its fair share of struggles, saw test aircraft crucial to the certification process grounded in 2024 due to cracks being identified in the thrust links.

These thrust links are for transferring thrust from the engines to the structure of the aircraft. Ultimately, in the certification process, this is something that needs to be addressed before solid progress can be made.

Boeing was able to tentatively find ways to recommence test flights while also working on a broader fix for the program, and that finalised fix now appears to have arrived in a positive step for the 777X after years of turmoil.

Thanks to rigorous testing and a team of leading analysts, Boeing says it has already implemented the necessary changes in the flight test airplanes part of the 777X program, but will continue to inspect the jets moving forward to ensure that the planes maintain safe operation.

Boeing confirmed through written statements that the problems, being cracks, were caused by unintentional vibrations that impacted the thrust link.

To eliminate the possibility of this vibrating response occurring in the future on the thrust link, Boeing teams will take additional measures before the first delivery is conducted.

The 777X Program Struggles

While the fix being implemented represents significant progress for the American planemaker, its long-continued attempts to certify the 777X program have not panned out as intended.

The 777x on paper is one of the best widebodies based on what it can offer airlines that select it for their services. However, for a plane announced in 2013 and meant to enter service in 2020, now halfway through 2025, the plane remains uncertified, and the first delivery is yet to occur.

Ranging from Boeing’s 737 MAX crisis to the emergence of the global pandemic, the delayed first flights of the 777-9, driven by engine woes, to numerous other quality control issues and even problems with the 777X itself, it has been far from smooth sailing.

For those airline customers who have been awaiting the jet, the frustrations have been publicly aired on several occasions. The 777X is a vital part of many airlines’ futures, and the inability to take on the plane has presented struggles unlike any other.

Boeing remains hopeful that it’ll conduct its first delivery in 2026, according to its latest forecast. However, specific customers who have always been outspoken about the program, have cast doubt on this happening.