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Boeing delays first 777X flight

Jan. 23, 2020
2 min read
Boeing-777X-folding-wingtip-YouTube (1)
Boeing delays first 777X flight
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Boeing has delayed the first flight of its 777X aircraft due to weather. On Wednesday night ET, the aircraft manufacturer said that it instead hoped to fly the aircraft on Friday, Jan. 24.

Boeing's newest wide-body aircraft was set to fly at 10 a.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) on Thursday at Boeing's assembly line facility near Everett, Washington,

In a tweet early Thursday morning, the company tweeted:

"We are postponing the #777X first flight that was scheduled to take place tomorrow, Jan. 23, due to weather. The team is currently assessing the possibility of flying on January 24. Stay tuned for updates."

Weather near Everett on Thursday shows rain throughout the day, switching between light rain and steady rain between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time, when the test flight was set to take place. However, according to weather.com, showers are also expected in the Everett area on Jan. 24, the possible new date of the first flight.

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When Boeing first announced the test flight earlier this week, spokesman Paul Bergman said that the date could change due to weather and other factors.

Related: Video: Watch the Boeing 777X test aircraft stretch its wings

The already-delayed 777X is set to be the largest twin-engine passenger aircraft ever built, with the possibility of sitting more than 400 passengers on the 777-9. It will most closely compete with Airbus' A350 model. The 777X has a range of about 8,400 miles (7,285 nautical miles) for the 777-9, while the 777-8 has a range of about 10,000 miles (8,730 nautical miles).