"Yes!" Boeing spokesman Josh Green shouted as the plane's wheels finally lifted off the tarmac. Just minutes earlier, the pilots deployed the plane's winglets - folding wing tips - designed to improve the craft's fuel efficiency and make it possible for the plane, with the widest wing span ever from Boeing, to be accommodated at more airports.
The first flight was originally scheduled to take place in mid-2019 but was postponed due to problems with the new engine, manufactured by General Electric, and difficulties with the wings and software. Saturday marked the first of what is to be a series of in-flight tests. If they go well, Boeing will officially file for approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
With Boeing facing a crisis over its top-selling 737 MAX following two deadly crashes, the 777X is supposed to compete in the long-haul aircraft market with the A350 made by rival European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The flight was "a demonstration to the world that we know what we are doing. We know how to do aircraft designed safely and instill trust in the public," said Stanley Deal, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Major airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways have placed some 340 orders for the 777X. The first deliveries of the new model, with maximum capacity of 384 to 426 passengers depending on the configuration, are not expected before early 2021, instead of mid-2020 as initially planned.
The aircraft encountered significant problems during pressurization tests in September. Boeing's business has also been weakened by a lack of firm orders from Chinese airlines for its 787 Dreamliner, which is expected to see production cuts.
The 777X has a range of 16,200 to 13,500 kilometers depending on its configuration and the number of passengers aboard, according to the Boeing website. It is also extremely fuel-efficient, an important consideration at a time when passengers are increasingly concerned about carbon emissions. Its list price is between $410 million to $442 million, though customers often negotiate discounts.
US air safety regulators could clear the 737 MAX to return to service before mid-year, a person close to the process said Friday. The plane has been grounded since March following two deadly crashes, in Ethiopia and Indonesia. On Tuesday, Boeing announced that it did not expect to win regulatory approval until mid-2020.